Dreams of Night
by Waterlilly3987
Summary: Sandy has resigned himself to a life alone as his fellow guardians fall in love with eachother and pair off. But when he happens on a beautiful mysterious woman who needs his help, will love blossom? Or will they never get the chance? {Hello Fanfiction readers! I was locked out of my original account, Waterlilly101, so I am reposting my stories with edits and updates. Love you all!
1. Chapter 1

**Dreams of Night**

 ** _Sandy_**

Sandy sits on his golden dream sand cloud, sighing as he watches his sand swirl over sleeping heads, revealing sweet dreams. Since no one was ever awake to talk and Jack hadn't come to tag along, Sandy found himself lost in his thoughts. Thinking on the past few centuries, loneliness swelled within him. Remembering how the other Guardians had tried again and again to match him up with different spirits just made him more depressed. He had watched as North and Tooth's love blossomed and then Bunny and Jack became mates…he had begun to feel like a third (or fifth) wheel, left out as the pairs cuddled at every meeting and party, going out on double dates together.

But none of the people they had tried, no one at all really, (except Tooth at one point but obviously that wasn't going to happen) had caught his interest.

Sighing again Sandy mentally resigned himself to a life alone, and, looking back at his dream-sand lines, he began drawing them back into the sand cloud to move onto the next region.

 **BANG!**

Whipping around towards the direction of the explosion, Sandy saw a huge plume of dirt and debris coming from the middle of the nearby forest. Curious he flew his cloud through the trees, coming up on the edge of a huge crater in the middle of a clearing. Tentatively, a horror flick Jack had made him watch coming to mind, he poked his head over the edge, a question mark floating over his gold, spiky hair. It immediately changed into an exclamation point, his face morphing into one of alarm as he peered down into it.

Laying at the bottom of the crater was a person!

Speeding down the bowl Sandy saw that the body was on its side, laying on one of its arms, shocked beyond belief he realized the person appeared completely unharmed and that that person was a young woman.

 _A beautiful woman_ , Sandy thought, looking closer at her. Creamy pale skin had soft undertones of pink, a curvy hourglass loosely clothed in a thin, silky black nighty, its sides only lace, with the creamy skin showing underneath, the dress coming to just mid-thigh. Thick, wildly curly deep crimson hair tumbled down to the small of her back, falling over her and hiding her face.

Turning her gently onto her back, Sandy's cheeks burned a bright orange as he realized that the nightie was the only thing she had on, her large, supple breasts covered by the scant, mostly lace material the made the two sides of the deep V of the nightie.

Tearing his eyes away from her chest, he looked up at a rounded face, his breath hitching as his eyes roamed over full, pouty, red lips, soft pink cheeks that hinted at a permanent post-sex glow, with long full lashes fanned against them.

Sandy gently brushed a few curls back out of the lovely face, when the mysterious woman slowly opened big, dark blue eyes that had flecks of silver in them.

Like stars he thought

Then a soft, melodious voice said, "Where am I?"

Sandy helped the girl sit up, backing away once she was stable, trying not to acknowledge the fact that the skinny strap of the nightie had fallen down off her shoulder.

"You are in a forest in Russia, you fell from the sky" Sandy told her.

He sighed as she looked up at him, confused. He made motions with his hands to indicate that he doesn't speak (he really can, but he won't think about that right now). He again told her where she was, his name, and asked for hers.

"Oh, hello Sandy" she said, he found he really liked the way her lips moved when she talked, shaking her hand when she offered it. "My name is Rose, Lunar Rose".

 _ **Rose**_

 _Ahhhhhhh_ she felt awful. That fall really hurt, and the ground here was hard. _Wait where is here_? She opened her eyes and looked around. She appeared to be at the bottom of a crater. _Great, I'm on earth_ she thought, her eyes widening slightly as they landed on a small golden man.

"Where am I?" she asked him as he helped her up, his hand warm.

She was confused when he didn't answer, just images made of….sand?...appearing over his head. Nodding as he explained that he was mute and she was in Russia, she told him her name as they shook hands.

"I'm Rose. Lunar Rose"

She groaned as she stood, stretching back with her arms over her head, pausing when she felt eyes on her. Blushing,she realized she was still in her nightgown and immediately putting her arms back down.

"I'm sorry, I forgot I was in my nightgown…" she said softly, looking at him with embarrassment all over her face.

His sand figure things started appearing over his head again, indicating that it was alright and asking her what happened. She thought for a minute, the last thing she remembered was that she was in bed, about to get up when she felt a hard tug on her body, and she was dragged off her cloud island and pulled down to Earth.

"I don't really know" she told him honestly, she felt funny, lightheaded "I really just need to…lie…." She didn't finish before she passed out again.

 _ **Sandy**_

Sandy (silently) cried out in alarm and caught her, instantly making himself grow into a 6'4", ripped man to carry her. He shifted her so he was carrying her bridal style, stepping onto a dream cloud that sped them away to his home, missing the bitter words that hissed through the clearing..

"Damn that golden man, she WILL be mine"

(Time skip)

Sandy laid Rose down in his bed, pulling the cover over her before leaving the room, going to his study to meditate so he could send out the dreams from his home. He hated doing it, it completely drained him, but he wanted to stay and care for this girl, and was curious as to who she was. So he stayed, settling down Indian style on the floor of his study, closing his eyes to concentrate.

 _ **Rose**_

Rose sighed happily, snuggling into her covers and pillows, wanting to go back to sleep but knowing she had a job to do. Sighing she opened her eyes and gasped. _This wasn't her home! Where is she?!_ Looking around and at the bed she was almost blinded by all the yellow and gold. _Wha…?_ She thought, looking closer. She saw that her cover was pulsing and moving slightly, that everything was. _Is this sand? Yes it is_! Curious she touched the cover and it was a cover. Her hand didn't go through it. _How cool_! She got up and looked out the one window. _Everything is sand_! The island (she could see the ocean shore, the island is small) was made completely of this stuff, the trees, beach, everything.

"Wow…" she breathes, hearing the (sand!) door open, she looks out the window for a minute more before turning and seeing the Sandman.


	2. Chapter 2

**Dreams of Night Chap. 2**

 ** _Sandy_**

The house alerted Sandy that she was awake the moment her feet touched the floor, sending almost happy pulses to him. When he opened the door to his room and saw her standing at the window, he took a minute to marvel at her beauty. His eyes slid over her curvaceous figure before snapping to her face as she turned to look at him.

 _Say something, say something, say something! Don't just stare at her!_ His mind yelled at him frantically.

"Would you like a robe or some new clothes?"

 _Smooth, Sandy, smooth_ he thought to himself as he mentally face palmed.

"A robe would be nice, thank you" she, Rose, said softly, a blush stealing over her cheeks as she wrapped her arms around herself, obviously uncomfortable.

Sandy, still mentally dogging himself, made her a knee length robe out of dream sand (he made sure to make it think enough so it wasn't see through) and waited while she slid it on over the sexy nightie, a little sad at not being able to see her in it anymore. But moved on to a question that had been burning in the back of his mind from the moment he laid eyes on her.

"So who are you? You are a spirit, obviously, so what do you do?" he signed over his head, gesturing for her to answer while he led her downstairs into a small kitchen, motioning for her to sit while he starting to make them breakfast.

 _ **Rose**_

Rose watched curiously as the strange little man who had so generously, and possibly a little stupidly _-I mean what if she had been a bad guy?-_ welcomed her into his home, and now appeared to even be making them breakfast! _How sweet_ ….she thought absentmindedly as she sighed before starting on her story.

"Well as you already know my name is Lunar Rose" she smiled as he sat a huge plate of eggs in front of her before floating across the table to sit, his own pile of steaming eggs in front of him.

"I live in my cloud palace high in the atmosphere; it drifts, as clouds tend to do, from place to place so it's never in the same spot. Which comes in handy for my job, which requires me to be on the opposite side of the world every 12 hours to raise the night." She paused to look at Sandy, watching his reaction and was slightly surprised when he just looked up at her with a question mark floating over his head. "My job is to literally raise the night, covering the sky on the half of the globe that is due for it at the time with darkness and calling forth the stars as I go. Oh as well as telling my father, the man in the moon, that it is time to start his journey across the night sky."

At the mention of MIM being her father Sandy choked a bit on his eggs, a look of pure shock on his face as the images over his head flashed at a speed impossible to read.

"What?" Rose asked, confused. _What is the big deal about dad_? She thought to herself, waiting for the man to calm down enough for her to understand.

"The…Man in the Moon, is…your….DAD?!" Sandy signed slower, frowning a bit at her obvious confusion.

It was Rose's turn to frown now. "Yes, what of it?"

Sandy raised his eyebrows at her nonchalant attitude about it, figuring she didn't know about his significant role in...well…everything. He decided to tell her about it later, when it was his turn to explain. So for now he just shrugged his shoulders and gestured for her to continue.

"Okay…I went to live with my father on the moon when my mother died. He made her a nature spirit. Mother Nature, to be exact." Rose said proudly.

Now Sandy choked again, causing him to have a coughing fit before sputtering out "MIM and Mother Nature are TOGETHER?!"

"Well yes, obviously, or I wouldn't be here" She laughed.

 ** _Sandy_**

Sandy just couldn't wrap his mind around everything she was telling him. It was all to much. Settling on what seemed like the safest of the abundance of questions having a party in his head, he asked "So how do you bring night?"

"Oh! I fly across the sky, my wings spreading the darkness behind me as I summon the stars" she stated matter- of- fact-ly.

Sandy on the other hand was confused, _she has wings_? He frowned, staring at her, a picture of wings and a question mark appearing above him.

Rose laughed again, the sound making a warm, fuzzy feeling swell inside of him, he decided that he really liked it when she laughed, and silently vowed to make it happen as often as he could.

"Oh right, I forgot I had them put away…these wings" she shuddered a bit as massive black wings sprouted from between her shoulder blades and unfurled around her, easily hitting both walls of the room at not even halfway extended. Tendrils of inky liquid blackness swirling and moving across them, occasionally dripping onto the floor, only to disappear with a small puff of smoke.

Staring in shock and awe, Sandy thought, _oh, those wings_ ….his jaw dropping open.


	3. Chapter 3

**Dreams of Night Chapter 3**

 _ **Rose**_

Rose blushed as Sandy stared in awe at her wings. The house groaned against the pressure her wings were putting on the walls, so she she gently folded them back and sat still as they shrunk until they disappeared against her back, knowing they left a little tattoo on her left shoulder blade of a pair of black fairy wings.

"So, Sandy, I can see that you are just itching to ask more questions." She looked up at him before taking a bite of eggs and swallowed before she stated. "Well...go on. I am all ears."

She studied him as he seemed to think for a minute, his finger tapping thoughtfully against his chin as he chewed. Above his head, images of a tree and a moon appeared above his head, then a question mark replaced them as he met her eyes, one eyebrow raised.

"You want to know about Mom and Dad?" she asked. Sandy nodded his head, a big grin on his face, his spiky yellow hair bobbing slightly. He looked so funny, like a toddler who was just asked if they wanted candy. It made her smile.

" Okay then, well...I might as well start at the beginning. I haven't met alot of spirits, though, mostly wood nymphs or stars so I don't understand why you looked so shocked. Mom, or Mother Nature, started off as a healer woman in Babylon around 600 A.D. She would venture into the forest and forage for healing plants and other ingredients that she used to nurse the other villagers back to health. Alot of the plants she used worked best when harvested under a full moon, which is how Dad came to notice her, as back then, it was almost unheard of for people to be out of their homes at night for fear of the wild animals and mythological monsters that the people believed stalked the forest at night. My mother, on the other hand, while her village valued her prowess as a healer, they shunned her for refusing to marry or bear children, and her strange ways. Many called her a witch. So instead of staying in the enclosed village, she lived in a little cottage in a clearing next to a brook a little ways into the forest. One night, after many of Dad watching Mom from the moon, she was in a clearing some ways from the cottage picking moon flowers when Dad appeared behind her. He scared her half to death!" Rose chuckled as she remembered the way her parents had looked so lovingly at each other as they told her this story, herself a toddler sitting on the floor listening intently.

 ** _Sandy_**

Sandy listened while Rose spoke, her far off look intriguing as she wove her tale.

"Anyway, he told her who he was, and they became friends. Every night, Dad would come down and help her harvest, or they would sit in her cottage and talk. Eventually, they fell in love, and had me. One night, while I was still a baby, the villagers became angry at my mother, as she could not save a mother in childbirth. They smashed the door down in the cottage later the next day, Mom screamed for Dad but it was Daytime, a he could not hear her. When he came that night, he found me, sitting in my crib, Mom dead on the floor." a tear leaked out from her eye and tracked down her cheek, a look of infinte sadness on her face. Sandy, without even thinking, reached up and brushed of the tear with his thumb, cupping her face for a second before she looked at him, a small, sad smile on her face.

 _ **Rose**_

"I am alright" Rose sighed, her heart heavy. "it was many years ago, and I only remember what my parents told me. He made her into a spirit, and brought me, half spirit half human, to his home on the moon. We had to leave her there, and let her wake up in her own time. I was five when she finally woke up, and we met her in the clearing. Thats when she became Mother Nature, the first of the Spirits here on Earth. Dad gave me my job when I was ten, there were a couple mishaps...I mean, Alaska didnt ALWAYS have half the year in darkness." Sandy laughed and Rose smiled at him.

"It's your turn now" she grinned, propping her elbows on the table, her chin resting on her folded hands as she studied him, noting how even his lips had a slight yellow tint. "So, tell me about yourself. What do you do? Who are you?"

 _ **Sandy**_

Sandy watched her face as he told her all about the Guardians and their jobs, his job, and the Man in the Moon's role in their lives. He even told her about their resent row with Pitch and what he does. The entire time she listened intently, her face never once giving away what she thought. No shock or surprise registered on her pretty face, her lashes damn near touching her eyebrows they were so long. When he finished he sat and waited for her to answer as she digested what he had said.

"So...Now I understand why you were so shocked when I talked about dad." she mused. Suddenly her face broke into what Sandy thought was the most adorable face he had ever seen, eagerness radiating from her in waves, her eyes twinkling. "Can you take me to see the other Guardians?! How did Dad never tell me about you guys? I can't wait to meet everybody!" she practially squealed.

Sandy forced back the urge to frown, he was shocked at how strongly jealousy rolled through him. That wasnt like him. He didnt get...possessive? Was that the word? Yes...he was strangely very possessive of this beautiful woman, and he didnt want to share her with the others. Feeling guilty and ashamed at his feelings, he nodded his head anyway. He gestured for her to follow him as he stood and moved towards the door.

Outside on the porch, he watched her face as she took in his island, awe evident on her face. He felt proud as she admired his handywork. His chest puffed out slightly. He let his eyes roam over her as she was momentarily distracted, admiring the way the sand robe she wore (he didnt want to admit it made is manly side swell at the fact that she was in a robe he made) didn't do anything to hide her curves. A thought popped into his head and before he could stop himself he tapped her arm.

"Do you want to change before we get there?" he asked with his pictures.

She blushed, her cheeks turning red, a pink flush rising up her neck and Sandy wondered just how far that soft flush went. "Oh! I completely forgot I wasnt in proper attire. I just feel so comfortable around you." she looked at him shyly and Sandy felt his heart skip a beat. "Do you mind if we stop at my place first? I would actually love to show it to you, I have never had company there other than my parents. You are kind of my first friend. Dad is very overprotective."

Sandy had a moment of panic, his pictures flashing at what he thought were to fast to read, but right before he start to repeat slower she answered "Oh he wont do anything to you, he wont be mad I wont let him"

Puzzeled he asked her "you could understand me?"

"well of course I could, why do you ask?" she questioned quizzically.

"Its just that most people dont understand me when I flash that quick"

She looked down at him, a happy smile on her face "Well its easy to understand once you get the hang of it, you just have to pay close attention"

He smiled back and felt touched that she payed him that much attention, most people not even trying when his pictures started to go fast. He made a large sand cloud and hopped up onto it, holding his hand out to her. As she laid her pale hand in his, he marveled at how soft her skin was and how small her hand was, noticing for the first time that she wasnt much taller than him. At 4' 11 naturally nobody really came close to his height, but she couldnt be taller than 5' 3. He helped her step onto the cloud and settle down, her legs tucked under her. He sat down next to her, their arms not quite touching and they were off.

As they were streaking across the sky, he turned to her and moved to lightly tap her hand to get her attention when he realized she was looking at him, not at the landscape as it sped by. "You said you were half spirit, half human. How does that work?" he asked curiously.

 ** _Rose_**

Rose blushed inwardly as he caught her looking at him. She had never met anyone like him before. He was so sweet, so nice, doing everything he could to make her feel welcome in his home, and was now even taking her to see his other friends! She wouldnt tell her parents, but she got lonely sometimes with no one to talk to except those whom she knew would report right back to her parents. They were more babysitters than anything when she had the wood nymphs or the stars over, spys for her parents into her personal life. She was so excited to finally be meeting new people.

"Well, I already told you how I came to be, my mother being human at the time she and my dad...you know..did the deed." she blushed at that, she normally wasnt a prude, but he made her almost shy. "And now...I dont really know. I am not much different from you I suppose. I do age, though VERY slowly. In human years I am 2567, that puts me physically at 21." she shrugged her shoulders.

 ** _Sandy_**

Sandy raised his eyebrows. 21? Yeah he could see that. If she was 2567 and that put her at 21, then him being a 4 millenia old, he would be...about 32-33. God would she want someone that much older than her? He blinked. When had he ever cared if a woman wanted him? He shrugged it off as meeting someone new. Sandy told her how old he was and was delighted when she didnt bat an eye at him being so much older than her, though he shouldnt have been surprised sense she is a spirit, and Manny was even older than he is.

They rode his dream sand cloud for a little while longer before he asked "Where is your palace? If its a cloud, how do you know where it is?"

"I can always tell where my palace is. I guess its alittle like your sand, its a part of me, I made it, so I can always tell where its at. I already told your sand where to take us, so we should be there in a minute."

Sandy gasped (silently) and frantically signed "You can control my sand?!" he glared at her.

Rose looked abashed and winced slightly at the look on his face "I...I...I am sorry. I didnt mean too. I just kind of thought about where we needed to go and your sand obeyed. Im sorry..." She looked down at him, tears in the corners of her eyes. "I can go if you want me too..." She looked away as she trailed off.

Sandy shook his head in disbelief. _Can she control my sand...or was my sand just obeying her because it wanted to_? _Was it doing so because it could tell how much he liked her_? He thought back to this morning when it had sent him happy pulses when it alerted him to her rising. His face softened, and he gently touched her face, guiding her to look at him, feeling guilty at his reaction when he noticed her eyes shining with unshed tears. "I am sorry I reacted that way. My sand has never listened to anyone but me. It must like you." He gave her a reassuring smile and was pleased as she returned it shyly.

"Oh good. I was afraid I had upset you. I promise not to use it" she vowed earnestly. Sandy nodded his acceptance of her promise and looked around as his sand suddenly shot up higher, breaking the cloud line above Ireland. When they surfaced above the thick blanket of clouds, they sailed on top towards a large palace made of fluffy white clouds. As they neared, they passed through a stretch of white clouds that looked like they were covered in flowers of different sunset colors, getting darker the closer they got to palace, ending in a deep twilight purple. The double doors opened as they stepped off the sand cloud. The inside was amazing. Everything was made of clouds, that was apparent, but there was every color that a cloud could be in there. Red rugs ran down a long hallway with light gray floors. The walls a bright fluffy white like the outside. The high ceiling way above their heads a soft yellow, lit like the sun was shining through a thin layer of clouds. There were windows that looked out onto the blue sky, sunset flowers, and even a few fluffy white trees that he didnt notice the first time. She excitedly showed him around, nearly bouncing on the tips of her toes, radiating joy at having him there. He thought it was so cute the way she gestured with more flair than necessary into each room. The livingroom was lovely, done in light blue and grey, bright and airy. The floors were a continuance of the light grey floors from the entryway, with a light blue couch and darker grey cushions and rug, black side tables and a coffee table with a dark gray fireplace, a fire crackling merrily. The kitchen was homey in light yellow-y tans. She led him to a library, done in varying shades of red, grey and black; then finally to her room. They went up a set of stairs, spiraling upwards. _We must be in a tower_ he thought. At the top was a beautiful large, round room, the ceiling so high that it opened onto stars. The walls were white and the so was the floor, with a white four poster (still made of fluffy clouds. The expression 'sleeping on a cloud' come true) bed with curtains of what looked like actual clear night sky, stars twinkling. The curtains were held back with strips of white cloud, exposing a bed covered in a soft pink cloud that served as a blanket and a matching mound of several pillows. A dark grey wardrobe across the room was where she was, pulling out clothes. She then went to a matching chest at the end of the bed and pulled out something, heading to another wall that had a black folding floor screen. She stepped behind it and Sandy blushed as he saw small pale hands fling the golden sand robe up and over to hang across the screen, closely followed by the lace nightie. _Oh god...she's naked behind there_...Sandy's blush deeped to a glowing reddish orange as he fantisized about her nude body. Imaging her large soft breasts flushed pink, rising and falling as she panted his name... _shit_! He looked down at the growing tent in his pants, rubbing the bulge before he could stop himself. He watched the screen as he tucked his erection into his waistband just before she stepped out, his mouth dropping open.


	4. Chapter 4

**Dreams of Night Chapter 4**

 ** _Rose_**

Rose blushed at his open mouthed face as she stepped out from behind the screen. She was dressed in a short dark grey shirt dress made of light, soft cotton, the rounded neckline resting just before the swell of her breasts, no clevage showing. A thin black braided necklace disappeared into her dress, the swirled metal half moon pendant with a celtic trinity knot resting in between the swells of her breasts. The hemline right before her knees, a black belt tied around her waist, held on by going through a melt loop, the end hanging down in front halfway down the dress. Black gladiator style sandals on, the leather straps going around her calves up to her knees, tied in the back with small bows. Her hair she left flowing down, brushing the top of her ass, her kinky curls framing her face, a thin, braided sliver circlet across her forehead, disappearing into her hair. She looked reminiscent of a warrior. She smiled at Sandy

"Will this be okay?" she asked shyly, the slight flush still present.

Sandy visibly swallowed, nodding.

"Let's go then!" she exclaimed happily, clapping her hands, beaming so hard her eyes closed for a moment.

Sandy shook himself slightly and made to grab her hand before the whole room suddenly turned a bright red, pulsing gently, an alarm sounding. Rose facepalmed and groaned, slouching.

"Oh god...I cant believe I forgot! I have to raise the night for this side of the world before we leave okay?" she looked at Sandy wanting his acquiescence, but not knowing why she felt the need to obtain it. She pushed the strange feeling down, though she still waited until he nodded his head before snapping her fingers.

 ** _Sandy_**

Sandy felt a strong pull in the pit of his stomach as she snapped her fingers, the room seeming to expand for a minute before snapping back together. Sandy looked at her quizically.

"There!" She sighed and walked to a glass door that Sandy was sure wasnt there before onto a large unrailed balcony.

"We are right over Germany, this is where I will start" she said over her shoulder at him while she walked to the edge of the balcony. "Do you want to come and watch?"

Sandy nodded eagerly and jogged to the end, and, making a sand cloud again, jumping up and turning to her with his hand out. She smirked up at him and suddenly dived off the balcony like she was going off a diving board into a pool. His heart in his throat he silently screamed and dropped to his knees, looking over the edge of his sand cloud to the hole in the white clouds. He felt a tap on his shoulder and spun around, a wild look in his eyes before they settled on Rose, standing with her hands on her hips, her huge wings spread around her, filling the sky. They must be 50ft across! he thought, admiring them.

"Did I scare you, Sandy?" she giggled. The sound was music to his ears. He sighed with relief and scolded her jokingly for giving him a heart attack.

"I forgot you even had wings!" he exclaimed.

She giggled again and she gestured for him to follow as she flapped her huge wings, blowing Sandy back a little. He gripped his sand to stay in place as she rose up and shot off, Sandy following close behind. As she went up to the edge of the atmosphere, then hovered, Sandy stopped a little ways below her. After a second, her wings spread to completely cover the sky, stretching from horizon to horizon, the blue sky was engulfed in black. After the sky was completely covered, she shot off, the blackness spreading behind her as she sped across the sky. Sandy tried to keep up, but she sped so fast, her wings formed a V behind her. She dragged the night sky until they were on the coast of California, where she finally slowed down, her wings shrinking back to 50ft and flapping softly, letting her drift down to Sandy. They folded behind her and disappeared just as her feet touched his cloud. Sandy rushed to her as she swayed. He caught her as she collapsed, growing to 6' 4" again so he could hold her. Tucking her into him he brushed a few deep red curls out of her pale face as she smiled softly up at him.

"I am okay" she breathed softly, "It just takes a lot out of me. Ill be good after a few minutes" she yawned, making a soft sound at the end, like a puppy, before snuggling her face into his chest. It was so adorable his heart clenched.

"Can we still go see your friends?" she said in a barely there whisper, full of hope, peeking up at him sleepily with one eye. He nodded, looking down at her, and before he could think about it he bent over and pressed his lips to her forehead in a barely there kiss as she closed her eyes, falling fast asleep. He held her as he shot off towards the North pole, sending a little sand jet with a message telling the other Guardians to meet him there speeding ahead of him.

 _ ***Time Skip***_

As they neared the North Pole, Sandy gently shifted Rose and brushed her light pink cheek softly. She blinked awake, her eyes darkening to a deep, royal blue, looking like the night sky with those silver flecks as they opened, meeting his light brown ones. He groaned inwardly. Damn she looked gorgeous. He really wasn't looking forward to this meeting. He didnt want to think about the others' reaction to her. While the three men were taken, they were still men. If the yearly Christmas parties Nicholas St North threw were any indication, they all still flirted with any scantily clad nymph that was in attendance (much to Tooth's chagrin). He was loath to standby while they drooled over her. _Well there isn't much I can do_...he thought, _we aren't in a relationship, so it's not like I can act possessive of her, she would probably get offended_. He realized he was staring at her and blushed deeply. Her eyes brightened as she became more alert, and she mirrored his blush as she realized they had been staring at each other and glanced away.

Both still blushing furiously they got tangled as they both tried to stand up at the same time, and ended up falling together in a pile. Sandy landed on top of her with a grunt, his sand having hardened slightly to keep them from falling through. He looked down at her in shock, soft brown eyes meeting bright blue ones. He drank in the sight of her beneath him, her blood red curls splayed around her, some in her face, her hands on his shoulders, her soft breasts pressed against his chest. His elbows were on either side of her face above her shoulders, one hand came up and gently brushed the stray curls from her face, their eyes never leaving each others. Before he could talk himself out of it, he leaned down a pressed his lips to hers in a soft kiss. He heard her sigh softly as her hands drifted around his neck, her fingers curling into the hair as the base of his neck. He moaned inwardly as he deepened the kiss, his tongue dancing across her lips, asking for entrance. He felt more than heard her gasp softly, he breasts pressing harder into his chest as she did so, allowing him to slip his tongue in, his hand moving from her face to tangle in her hair as he explored her mouth, neither noticing that the sand cloud had drifted into one of North's open windows and into the meeting room until they heard a loud...

"Ahm! Ahm!"

Sandy looked up startled, Rose gasping beneath him, her face flushed, her hands leaving his hair as one covered her mouth and the other pressed flat against his chest, her eyes wide. She looked at him, then at the people staying next to them, then looming over them as the sand cloud settled to the floor, disappating with a poof as Sandy became to distracted to hold it together. They hit the floor at the Guardians feet with a thump. Sandy jumped up and helped Rose to her feet before shrinking down again, both blushing furiously, unable to meet anybody's eyes.

" WELL WELL!" boomed a loud voice, making Rose jump and look up one arm around her middle and the other still hovering over her now slightly swollen lips, her face still flushed. Her eyes remained wide as they landed on a towering man clad in a red and black fur coat. He was easily the biggest man she had ever laid eyes on.

Sandy looked up at Nick as he boomed "It looks like our resident bachelor has finally found a wench to warm his bed!" He heard Rose gasp.

SMACK!

A small, pale hand shot up and connected with Nick's face.

A perfect hand mark appeared on Nick's cheek and everyone's mouth dropped open with shock. They all turned as one to stare at Rose. Sandy had never seen anything so terrifyingly beautiful in all his life, and he had watched a sun explode. Rose's hair was slightly floating around her head, the ends looked like they were on fire. Her hair even started to crackle and pop, and her eyes flashed, turning a dark blue, like a thunderstorm. He laid a hand tentatively on her arm and she glanced at him, visibly calming before shooting Nick one last death glare.

"Do NOT call me that!" she spat viciously. Subconsciously she grabbed Sandy's hand and despite it all, Sandy blushed, patting her hand with his other one to calm her down.

 _ **Rose**_

She was livid, _how dare he insult her like that! That was no way to speak to a lady, let alone someone you just met_! Inwardly she burned with shame, this was not the way she saw this going. _What was that kiss_?! She had never kissed anyone before. It had just felt so...right...HE felt so right. She looked down and their eyes met. "Are you okay?" his eyes seemed to say. She squeezed his hand to reassure him she was fine now and let it go, brushing her hands down her front to straighten her clothes.

"Right...ahm...I apologize for saying that" the big man said as he rubbed his cheek, a feathered lady hovered next to him and put a hand on his shoulder. He looked back at her and winced as she glared at him, folding her arms. He looked back at her and said abashedly "I shouldnt have said that, especially about someone Sandy has brought us to meet." He grinned and held his huge hand out.

" I am Nicholas St. North, or as the children call me, Santa Claus."

She smiled up at him, taking his hand and shaking it firmly.

"Hello, St. North" she replied formally.

Next the fluttering bird lady flew up and shoved her fingers in her mouth.

"Oh! What gorgeous teeth! These are even better than Jack's!" she exclaimed and her fingers withdrew. "I am Toothiana the Tooth Fairy. Everyone calls me Tooth. Or Toothy. Whichever you like!" she grabbed Rose's hand in both of her own and shook it vigorously while she talked before zipping back to hover by North.

Next a huge kangaroo-bunny hybrid jumped and landed in front of her. She stumbled back with a yelp, landing on her ass. A huge paw grabbed her arm and pulled her up.

"'Ey there gorgeous, I'm Aster Bunnymund, The Easter Bunny" he stated in a thick Australian accent. She blushed darkly as Aster slowly ran his eyes down her body before meeting Sandy's glare with a smirk and backing up.

Then the temperature dropped a few degrees in the room. Rose's breath puffed out in a small cloud and she felt excitement bubble up in her. She knew those signs. _It couldn't be_...she thought as her eyes searched the room. A teenage voice said "Rose?" questioningly from behind her. Sandy and her whipped around at the same time. Sandy with a frown and Rose with a beaming grin.

"JayJay!" Rose yelled and threw her arms around Jack and he hugged her back tightly, burying his face in her wild hair.

Sandy's frown deepened. _They know each other?_ he thought. _Why didn't she say anything to me when I was telling the story_? He frowned mentally thinking that he was going to ask her about that later when they were alone.

Rose stepped back from Jack, her hands still on his shoulders and his still on her waist.

"I didn't know that Sandy was talking about you!" she gushed.

Then suddenly frowned and stepped back from him, her hands on her hips. (Sandy relaxed slightly, he liked that way better.)

"Why didn't you come and visit?! Sandy told me all about your guys' stint with Pitch! How dare you not come and tell me! I haven't seen you in, what? Over a year?!" she poked his chest. Jack blushed and looked sheepish.

"Well, I have been busy.." he gestured to the bunny "That is my...mate" Jack blushed as her eyes widened.

"What? The Kangaroo?"

Aster scoffed as everyone else chuckled.

"KANGAROO?! I aint no bloody KANGAROO! I. AM. A. BUNNY." Aster fumed, his arms folded across his chest.

Rose turned to around to face him and the rest of the gang. She brought a finger to her bottom lip, tapping it gently, unaware that every male now focused on her pouty lips (Tooth to busy with her fairies to notice) Rose looked like she was pondering something as she looked Aster up and down. A mischievous little grin spread across her face as she spoke, her voice a little husky.

"Are you sure?...You look a great deal like a kangaroo, You even have the Australian accent" she giggled as Aster face burned red with embarrassment and anger.

"I...I...GRRRRR!" He growled as he leaned into Rose's face, his finger came up and nearly touched her face "You listen hear woman..."

He didn't get to finish as a thick golden wall sprang up between them. Aster looked at Sandy, who was tapping his foot on the floor, his arms crossed and his eyes shooting daggers at him. Aster grunted and hopped back.

"Fine! But I'm NOT a bloody kangaroo!" he muttered towards Rose, who giggled and stepped through the wall like it wasn't there. Everyone gasped in shock.

"I know I was just teasing" she smiled at Aster " I think you make a very fierce bunny."

Aster blushed.

"May I pet your fur?" Rose asked hopefully, her hands twisting in front of her nervously.

Sandy's mouth dropped open and steam flew out his ears as he frowned at Rose, softening when he took in her almost childlike hope, and realized she wasn't being sexual, she was just curious. Everyone was silent in shock as Aster actually let her touch one of his ears, having to let his ears droop and tilt his head nearly horizontal for her to be able to reach it. She petted his ear for a minute and giggled as Aster's foot tapped on the ground in pleasure. He grunted and jerked away as he saw everyone's smirking faces at his reaction.

Nicholas cleared his throat and with a puzzled look stated "How did you walk through Sandy's...sand?" He stared at her as everyone but Sandy stopped and stared at Rose curiously, making her blush.

"Well...I..." Rose looked at Sandy and he nodded. "His sand obeys me...we think its because it likes me." She blushed as she looked at Sandy, his cheeks burning with a blush as well.

At this point Tooth spoke up, saving the two from the awkward silence as the men smirked at them.

"Jack called you Rose, is that your name?"

Rose nodded. "Yes, Sandy has already told me all about you guys. My name is Lunar Rose, and I...well I don't really have a 'title' like 'The Tooth Fairy' but I am the one who raises the night sky. Its really nice to meet you all."

She dipped a curtsy as she finished.

"That is enough questions for now" Boomed Nickolas. "It is time for snacks! Follow me!"

Santa Claus led them all into a smaller room off the globe room. This cozy little room had a circle of fluffy red couches surrounding a dark brown coffee table laden with many different kinds of holiday cookies, hot chocolate and egg nog in front of a huge roaring fire.

 _ **Sandy**_

Sandy excitedly grabbed two egg nogs and plopped down on a couch, Rose settled in next to him, making his heart stutter as she put her hand on his leg. Sandy looked down at the egg nogs in his hands and relunctantly handed her one which she accepted gratefully with a thank you. The other Guardians stared at Sandy in disbelief, knowing his love of egg nog. Sandy glared back, a question mark above his head.

"Sandy!" Jack exclaimed "you must REALLY like Rose to give her one of your egg nogs! You Love those! I remember one year you ripped one out of my hands!"

Rose choked on the egg nog, laughing and sputtering. Sandy blushed and looked down into his cup. Looking at him, Rose said softly "well I think that makes it all the more sweet..."

Sandy looked up at her smiling. She whispered to him behind her hand "I love egg nog too"

Sandy beamed brighter. This woman was perfect.

Once they were all settled, each having chosen a cookie and a steaming mug, Nickolas leaned forward, his elbows on his knees.

"How did you and Jack meet?" he asked.

Sandy's ears perked up at this question. He too was very curious. Rose cleared her throat.

"Well I met Jack one night after I was had finished with the sky. I felt the air drop below freezing all of a sudden and there he was! Flying next to me. Scared me half to death!" Her and Jack laughed at the shared memory, Sandy swallowing his rising jealousy as she continued "He was the first spirit I had met aside from those my parents introduced me too, and we spent the entire night talking and flying around. We have been friends ever since"

Everyone except Sandy, looked at her curiously, Jack speaking up.

"You never told me your parents were still alive...how did you keep in contact after you died?" Jack sat forward, very interested.

Sandy smirked inwardly. _So, she told me everything, but doesn't tell her "friend?" that must say something_ Sandy thought, no longer jealous at her knowing Jack before him.

Rose sighed "I'm sorry JayJay, I just didn't want to think about it. They are very overprotective and I wanted to be selfish and keep you a secret. And after you told me about your past and how you lost your family, I didn't want to make you feel bad by telling you I still had mine. Anyway, I was born to a spirit and a human coupling" She continued through the gasps of shock. "Don't ask me how because I don't know, I always just thought that my dad, the one being the spirit, had the power to show himself to my mom. She died and is a spirit now too."

Toothiana spoke up, excited. "OOOOO who are they?! We probably know them! We throw a huge party every year, maybe we have seen them at one!"

Rose frowned, "I doubt they would have come. They aren't really the 'partying' type. They are Mother Nature and The Man in the Moon."

Rose threw her hands up as a wave hot chocolate sailed towards her, going everywhere as the three spirits sprayed it out in shock.


	5. Chapter 5

**Dreams of Night Chapter 5**

 ** _Rose_**

Rose gasped as hot chocolate sprayed all over her, drenching her with the warm, sticky beverage. She stood up and flicked her arms out, trying to shake off some of the liquid. All eyes were on her, her dress soaked and clinging to her, the lace of her bra and the hardness of her nipples in the cold North air apparent as her clothes clung to every curve. North cleared his throat to cover his silent staring, while Jack and Aster's mouth snapped shut at the sound, but their eyes never wavered from her chest. Even North, coughing as he was, let his eyes drink in the sight of her flat belly, her soft curving hips and the v between her legs. Rose flushed a bright red, the coloring creeping up her neck to her face. She tilted her head till her hair came forward to hide her face, the curtain draping over her hips, accentuating it even more. She stepped back, her knees hitting the couch. She felt trapped and exposed. She let out a soft whimper at the lust she saw in their eyes. This seemed to snap Sandy out of it (as he too was entranced by her dripping body) and he sent his sand to her, covering her in a robe much the same as the one she had on this morning, but thicker.

She sent him a look of appreciation and asked "Is there somewhere that I can change clothes at?" she looked at the huge figure that was North. "I would very much appreciate some dry clothes" she snuggled her face into the robe, pulling it up to cover her chin and mouth, her eyes peeking out the top. Sandy thought it was the cutest thing her had ever seen.

North jumped up, startling Tooth who was perched on the couch arm next to him, oblivious up until then, busy with her fairies. "Ill take you to washroom! I have no clothes but you have robe to wear till they dry." he sent her a mischevious smile, probably meant to reassure her, but the lust and insinuation impossible to miss.

Tooth looked from North to her and back again before smacking North on the back of the head. "North! Stop it right now!" she continued to yell at him as she dragged him out of the room by his ear; he had enough decency to look abashed.

After Tooth and North left the room, Jack shook his head and nudged Aster, who blinked and met his eyes. "Bunny and I are getting tired, I am sure we can hear all about your parents the next time we meet, huh Rose?" Jack glanced at her apologetically. She gave him a small smile and Bunny tapped his foot on the floor, opening up a huge hole. Rose gasped and leaned over the hole.

"Oh! Where does it go?" she asked Bunny excitedly, clutching the robe around her.

Aster grinned proudly "to the Warren, home of Easter, hope, and eternal springtime."

Rose was just about to ask if she could come and look around when Tooth came in the room, arms crossed as she glared out the door, gesturing for something to follow. In came North, hanging his head. Tooth nudged him towards the rest of the group, an expectant look on her face. North glanced at her and then looked up at Rose.

"I am sorry for my actions Rose, I did not mean to make you feel unwelcome. Your beauty distracted me, and for that I apologize. I promise not to do so in the future. And I NEVER break my promises."

Rose nodded. "It is okay, North, I forgive you."

She gestured at the couch, inviting Tooth and North to return to the previous conversation.

She glanced at Aster "I still very much want to visit your Warren, Aster, but, if you guys would like to stay, I still have a few hours before I have to do my job again. Would you take me to the washroom, Tooth?" she looked at the other woman hopefully "I already told Sandy about my parents, he could fill in the guys while we have some girl talk?" she said the statement more like a question, meeting Tooth's kind eyes as she nodded, smiling.

"Of course Rose!" Tooth buzzed around in a quick circle. "Girl Time!" She zoomed out the door, Rose running after her laughing.

 ** _Sandy_**

Sandy looked at his friends, and tried to shake the anger at the way they acted around Rose away, but found he couldnt. He sat and glowered at them, his arms crossed and one eyebrow raised expectantly. All three men blushed slightly at Sandy before looking away sheepishly. Jack was the first to speak up.

"I am sorry Sandy. You brought her to meet us and all we have done is act like fools. She probably will be to uncomfortable to be around us anymore." he looked at his lap, full of remorse.

"Yeah." Bunnymund spoke up "I apologize, mate. That's no way to act around your girl."

Sandy blushed at that. "She and I aren't together. I met her just yesterday" he explained to the gang. North looked at Sandy with surprise evident on his face.

"Really? You two were practically eating each others' faces off when you came in!"

"That was just the heat of the moment" Sandy signed. "I found her in the bottom of a huge crater after she fell to the ground during my nightly dream rounds. I took her to my home until she recovered"

Jack frowned " Fell from the sky? With her wings? Have you seen those things? There is no way she fell on her own."

Sandy looked at Jack, a puzzled look crossing over his face " You are right, Jack. Now that I think of it, she had said that one minute she was in bed, and the next she felt some sort of 'tug' and she was falling through the sky."

Bunny spoke up "A tug? What could tug the daughter of the Man in the Moon and Mother Nature out of her bed?"

They all looked at each other solmenly. Only one person came to their minds.

Pitch.

 ** _Rose_**

Rose ran after Tooth, giddiness filling her at the prospect of a girl friend. Books she had read made her long for companionship, and at last, a group of friends to call solely her own. Albiet pervy, but at least Tooth was there. She had so many things she wanted to do with her, like a slumber party! She followed the blue streak that was Tooth to a huge room filled with floor to ceiling stack washers and dryers. Some washing stuffed animals or dolls clothes. Some the elfs' clothes or the yeti's bedding. Finally they came to the end where one set was thankfully empty, and as she disrobed, Tooth shot of questions like bullets from a gun.

"So how did your parents meet? How were you born? Were you born a spirit? I thought you had to die to be a spirit. Can spirits have babies? Does that mean North and I could have babies? Should we have babies? We are so busy already..."

Rose giggled. "Well, I was born half spirit and half human. My dad came down and fell in love with mom while she was human and they had me. He took me to the moon after mum died until she became a spirit. I dont know if other spirits can have babies. I have never asked him."

Tooth had a dreamy look on her face. "Oh...a baby...I never had babies while I was alive." her fingers brushed her feathered tummy lightly. A small mini tooth like thing popped up from behind her, chirping angerly. Tooth gasped and turned to it "Baby Tooth! I didnt mean that I dont love you guys!" She cupped the tiny bird like fairy in her hands. "You know I love you right?" The little one chirped in answer and Rose stared at it

"oh...how cute! Can I hold her?" Rose asked Tooth, the little fairy looked at her and smiled, flying over to hover in front of Rose. Rose held out her cupped hands in front of her and the fairy settled in, snuggling against her thumb. "Oh you are so pretty!" Rose sighed softly.

Tooth smiled as she watched them, "Yes, I have thousands of these little helpers that help me collect the teeth from the children of the world. Each one is completely different with a totally unique personality. Her name is Baby Tooth. Jack's favorite." Tooth giggled as Baby Tooth nodded with a prideful smile.

"You are so lucky to have helpers, Tooth" Rose sighed. "I am normally all alone, nobody really even realizes I am there or what I do".

Tooth patted Rose's shoulder gently

"It's okay, dear, Jack still goes through that too, it's a sore spot for all us spirits to not be seen by humans."

Rose looked up at Tooth with a small smile, "Oh no, humans can see me if I want them too, I meant other spirits seem to not notice that someone flies across the sky every time it gets dark. I mean I know I am fast but how did I not know about you guys, nor you about me? This is the first time I have met any other spirits besides some forest nymphs of mothers or some stars at my dad's. They have always been overprotective of me. They dont tell me much of the happenings of other spirits. I always knew there were more, but I have never had the pleasure of meeting them."

Tooth puzzled over this. _How could we not notice_? she thought. Maybe they had just been so busy, so wrapped up in their duties that they never bothered to take notice. Only recently did they start conversing with other spirits other than Jack outside of the annual Christmas party. Tooth gave Rose a sad look as she watched the girl play with Baby Tooth. She felt a protectiveness over her, not quite like a mother, more like what she had felt for her sister before she died and became the tooth fairy.

" Well you have friends now" Tooth smiled at her "And I'll make sure that the guys keep their hands off of you!"

They laughed together while Rose donned her now clean clothes before heading back to join the rest of the Guardians.


	6. Chapter 6

**Dreams of Night Chapter 6**

 _ **Sandy**_

Sandy watched as Rose and Tooth came in together, laughing like old friends. He smiled, happy that she was enjoying herself. The guys had decided not to tell Rose about their fears regarding her accident until they could investigate more. Well Sandy had decided. The others thought that Rose should know, but Sandy had been adamant about keeping her in the dark, pointing out that everything about them and Pitch was so new, and he didnt want to scare her off. The others reluctantly agreed, and the discussion had turned to the upcoming Christmas holiday preparations, with North complaining about how all kids wanted nowadays was Ipads and cell phones.

"Honestly there is no wonder what so ever in a screen! Kids should get outside and discover the world for themselves!" North ranted as the girls came in, trailing off to rise and give Toothiana a kiss on her feathery cheek, making her blush.

Rose smiled as she saw Sandy, coming over to hand him is sand back. Sandy smiled in return and, with a wave of his hand, turned the robe into a small, braided bracelet with a small rose dangling off of it, letting it float to her wrist and fasten around it. Rose gasped softly and fingered the delicate rose.

"Oh Sandy, thank you!" She dropped to her knees in front of him, putting her head at his shoulder, and threw her arms around his neck in a hug. Sandy smiled and hugged her back, the gang smiling at them knowingly.

Behind them, the moon had started to shine brightly, the beams light a beacon coming into the window, a shimmery form beginning to manifest on top of the guardian symbol in the middle of the poked Bunnymund, about to point it out when a deep baritone voice boomed through the hall, shaking the stacks of toys dangerously.

"GUARDIANS! WHY HAVE YOU KIDNAPPED MY DAUGHTER!?"

Rose gasped and broke away from Sandy, standing up and immediately moving toward the solidifying form of a tall, thin man with a long white beard trailing to his waist tied with a thin silver cord. White hair falling a little ways past his shoulders hung loose over light blue wizard like robes and a matching tall blue hat; a silver staff topped with a swirling half moon with a Celtic trinity knot inside in his left hand, banging against the floor as he let his voice carry through the room. Sandy had the fleeting thought that the symbol on the staff was the same as the pendant Rose wore around her neck.

Rose bowed her head as she stepped in front of the intimidating man. "Father, I am right here. They did not kidnap me, I fell from my palace yesterday night and Sandy found me, took me to his home and let me sleep. He fed me from his own table and told me all about the Guardians and your role. I wanted to meet everybody so he brought me here. Why have you never told me about any of them?" Rose looked up at her father for the first time, a hint of betrayal in her eyes as she met his furious ones. Their eyes both a bright blue.

"LUNAR! How dare you question me! I have didn't tell you for your own safety. To keep you from their fighting with the lord of nightmares and fear, Pitch Black, and other spirits that represent the dark aspects of human life. You are to return to your palace and not leave other than to perform your duties!" He boomed and grabbed her wrist, pulling her toward him.

Sandy moved forward, ready to fight for her, but the other Guardians held him back. North whispered in his ear

"This is between Manny and Rose, Sandy. Its not our place to interfere."

Sandy reluctantly floated to the floor, worry evident on his face as he watched the to spirits argue, a white glow beginning to emit from them.

Rose pulled against her father, tears of rage spilling from her eyes. "No! I will not let you hide me away anymore! I am an adult now! I can handle myself!"

MOM scoffed and rolled his eyes, turning towards the window and pulling her along with him. "You are still a young, and fragile! Half human! As spirits they cant truly die, you are the first of your kind! If you get hurt you could die! Permanently!"

Sandy gasped silently, he hadn't thought of that. She had recovered so quickly from the fall, he assumed she couldn't die, like them. Even the Guardians looked worried over their new found friend.

Rose yanked her hand out of her father's grasp, a look of surprise crossed his face as he turned around to face her again, her fury plain on her face

"I. CAN. HANDLE. MYSELF!" As she the last word left her lips, a huge burst of white light shot from her and slammed into Manny, knocking him back and into the far wall, where he sat crumpled in a heap. Everyone, including Rose, gasped and sprang forward. Rose knelt by her father, "Dad! Dad! I'm sorry I'm so sorry! I didn't mean too! DAD!"

She shook his shoulder and he opened his eyes. Rose helped him up and took a step back as he straightened. He looked at her, his eyes soft.

"Rose" He touched her chin, tilting her head up to make her look at him. "I am alright, I know you didnt mean to do that. You are so much stronger than you know. You only use a small part of your power. Even I do not know the extent of it, or what you are capable of. I do not want someone to use you. I love you. You are my only child" He pulled her into a hug. The Guardians backed up and looked away, all of them feeling as if they were witness to a very private moment.

"Dad, I love you too, but you cant keep me hidden forever. I am grown up now. I will be careful, and I promise to check in with you and mum often. I am not leaving the planet," she joked softly "I will just be more apart of it, instead of just floating above it." She kissed his cheek and broke away, moving to stand next to the Guardians "Besides, I will have my friends with me, right?" She looked at each Guardian in turn, all of the nodding and smiling at her. She looked to her dad expectantly.

The Man in the Moon thought for a minute, stroking his beard. Finally, he sighed "Alright, Luna. I will back off." He glared at the Guardians " If anything. I mean anything happens to her, there will be hell to pay."

Rose shot him a look "DAD! Stop!"

He smiled at her and, with a shrug of his shoulders, vanished with a pop of silver dust. Sandy let out a breath he hadn't known he had been holding. He had been so worried that MOM was going to take her away. He looked up at Rose happily, tapping her hand. She met his eyes and smiled back.

"Blimey! That bloke was scary!" Aster shuddered and put his arm around Jacks waist, looking at Rose. "You grew up with that? No wonder you never ventured out before now! I wouldnt go against that either!" The others nodded in agreement, crowding around Rose and swamping her with hugs, patting her on the back and generally making her feel like one of the gang.

"So..." started Tooth "Would you like a tour of our places?" Rose nodded eagerly and the set off.

 ** _*Time Skip*_**

After seeing all of the other Guardians headquarters, Rose asked the others if they wanted to see her home. Of course everyone agreed, even though Bunnymund looked nervous about being off the ground. North, Jack, Bunnymund, and Toothiana all climbed into North's sleigh while Rose watched as Sandy built a contraption out of sand.

"What is it?" Rose asked Sandy as she walked around it,"It almost looks like a bird of some sort." She touched one wing. Sandy laughed silently and explained.

"Its a plane, Humans use it to fly."

Rose looked at it curiously "Cool..." she smiled and jumped in the first of the two seats "Can I drive?!" she asked excitedly as she gripped the steering mechanism.

Sandy smiled and nodded, climbing in the back. Rose counted down.

"3, 2, 1, BLAST OFF!"

The sand plane obeyed and shot off into the sky, Rose's hair whipping back an hitting Sandy in the face. Sandy sputtered around the hair in his mouth, batting at it before sending some sand to pull her hair into a bun with a sand-band. He after he could see again he thought about how her hair had smell of the air before a rain, with a hint of mango. He thought it was invigorating. He screamed silently as the plane suddenly dive bombed toward the ground. He glanced at Rose who was screaming in delight as she leveled out just before the ground, arching upwards again. She did this multiple times till the finally landed next to her cloud palace, Rose jumping out with her windblown hair all around her, her face flushed. She turned to Sandy gushing about how fun driving had been. She hid her mouth behind her hand to cover her giggles as she saw Sandy's wide, fear filled eyes, his hands clenching the bar that had held him in so hard his knuckled were white, his spiked hair blown straight back. Rose fell over laughing as he detached himself slowly, glowering at her. Sandy couldn't help but hide a smile as she rolled on a cloud, clutching her stomach as she laughed at him, tears streaming out of her eyes.

When she was done she wiped her tears away and stood up, brushing bits out clouds off her as the others slid up in the sleigh next to them. As Rose caught sight of Aster's face she snorted and started up again, doubling over. Jack, North and Toothiana laughed as well when they glanced at Bunny, who was turning green with his hand over his mouth, gagging. When he calmed down he glanced over the edge of the sleigh and looked at Rose.

"Is it safe? I mean, wont I fall through?" he asked worriedly.

Everyone else was already stepping out, even North stood gingerly on the cloud before seeing it hold. Rose nodded and jumped up and down to reassure him. As they headed towards her palace through the sunset flowers, Toothiana ohhed and awed at the beautiful colors.

"Its wonderful Rose, absolutely gorgeous".

Rose beamed her delight "I am glad you think so...AH!"

Rose fell to her knees, gasping as her wings burst from her back, knocking everyone over as the spread to their full length. Sandy collected himself first and ran towards her, asking if everything was alright. Rose looked up at him, tears in her eyes.

"Its okay Sandy. It just hurts when they burst out. Its the fail safe that Dad put in when I forgot to raise the night when I was younger. If I don't let them out and do it myself on time, they come anyway, and the shock makes it more painful than normal." She stood shakily and glanced at the others. "I am sorry guys, I will be back in a minute."

She shot upwards, everyone staring after her incredulously. They gathered in a circle and waited for her to return, chatting about the days events.

"So...I like her alot Sandy" Toothiana commented to the little man.

Sandy nodded "I do too." he replied sitting and picking at a deep purple flower.

"Oh we know how much you like her Sandy" Jack said mischeviously. North and Bunnymund snickered and even Toothy had to stifle a giggle. Sandy blushed a deep orange and shrugged.

North nudged him playfully. " Come now, Sandy! We parade nymphs and sirens in front of you all year and you bring a spirit in out of nowhere that blows them all away with her beauty!" North waggled his eyebrows "Tell me...she slept at your house, right? Did she sleep in your bed? With you?" he grinned mischievously.

Sandy blushed even deeper, his eyes widened as he replied "NO! No no no! I mean, she slept in my bed, its the only one in my house, but I didn't sleep with her! She's to good for that!" Sandy shook his head vigorously. North laughed and clapped Sandy on the back.

"We are glad you finally found someone! Lets hope it works out!" They all agreed, nodding. "But what about the incident? What are we going to do?" Jack interjected softly. Tooth looked to him and then the others curiously.

"What? What's the matter?" she asked worriedly, taking in their solemn faces, fear for her new found friend crept in.

"Well, Sandy here told us how he found her, in the bottom of a crater after she fell from here. She had said she felt a 'tug' like someone was pulling her down. We all heard Man in Moon say how strong she is, that she has power that even he doesnt know the limits of. Now who do we know that wants power at any cost?" North stated softly. Toothiana gasped

"You mean Pitch?! Pitch tried to kidnap her?!"

The others nodded in unison.

"Thank goodness Sandy happened to be around when he did" Aster stated.

Toothiana looked at the others with wide eyes "Aren't we going to tell her?! She has a right to know!"

Sandy shook his head vehemently. "If we do she will retreat to her father's palace, and we will never know what Pitch has planned!"

"Right." said North "We must know what he is up to."

Toothiana sighed "But isn't this like using her for bait?" Sandy looked away, he had thought that too.

North replied "We have very little choice" They all nodded

"But her body! Hot Damn! I look at her and I feel like I'm going to melt!" joked Jack as he tried to lighten the mood.

Sandy frowned and threw a cloud ball at him. It hit Jack square in the face and splattered with a poof! Jack blinked and laughed, pieces of cloud sticking to his eye lashes. They all started to gather cloud balls when they heard the flapping of huge wings coming closer. They looked up as one was Rose drifted down from above them, dropping a huge cloud ball on top of them, completely burying them. The Guardians popped their heads one by one out of the cloud, laughing.

"You Win this one, Rose" North laughed.

Rose smiled wearily, her wings folding behind her. Sandy looked at her with concern as she landed heavily on her feet, staggering a little.

"Are you all ready to come in?" She asked sweetly, shaking off her fatigue, covering it with a smile. Four out of five Guardians agreed readily, taking off toward the palace. Sandy stayed and floated over to Rose, cupping her cheek in his small hand, meeting her eyes and signing

"Rose? If you need a rest, I can tell everyone to go home. We can do this another day."

Rose leaned her cheek more into his hand, sighing "No no...I am excited they are here. After to tour they can leave." Sandy nodded in acquiescence, falling into step beside her as they caught up with the group waiting at the door for them.

 ** _Time Skip_**

After the tour Rose had everyone in the kitchen, having to make the dining table bigger to accomadate them all. She was humming happily while she made fresh cookies and matcha tea. Everyone was chattering away as she placed the snacks on the table, passing them out and pouring everyone a cup of tea, placing honey in the middle of the table for anyone who wanted to sweeten it. She held her own cup with both hands, letting the sweet heat seep into her palms and up her arms, sipping some and letting it warm her from her belly as well. North took a sip and immediately sprayed it back out, covering Toothiana

"What is THIS?" North gagged as Rose giggled.

"Its matcha. Super concentrated green tea."

"Green Tea?! What is green tea? Where is the hot chocolate?" North complained.

Bunnymund smirked at him "I like it!"

Jack snorted "That's because its made from plants. And you are a rabbit" Bunny nudged Jack over playfully.

Rose looked at Sandy, who was frowning into his cup. "Sandy? Do you like it?"

Sandy took a sip and tried to hide his disgust, swallowing with not a little bit of difficulty, giving her a shaky smile.

"Oh Alright!" Rose sighed in mock frustration. "Ill make some egg nog and hot chocolate. You know, you guys really should eat healthier..." Rose turned and started on the hot chocolate.

"Why?" Toothiana asked "We are spirits, we are already dead."

Rose dropped the spoon she had been stirring the pot of hot coco with.

" Oh. Right. I'm sorry" Rose apologized sadly.

For a moment she had forgotten that she was the only one of her kind. Sandy floated over to her, giving Toothiana a glare as he passed. He touched her shoulder and she turned to look at him

"It is very sweet that you would be concerned about our health, Rose" he told her. She smiled at him "

You know what Sandy? I really like the way you say my name. That has to be the prettiest rose I have ever seen"

Sandy blushed and looked away, drifting to his seat, a small smile on his face.

"Besides" Rose continued "If you all do not eat well, I am guessing you dont exercise either huh?" she gave them a sly smile as she laid out the new snacks. "The next time you all come here, Ill show you what I do on my off time".


	7. Chapter 7

**Dreams of Night Chapter 7**

 ** _Sandy_**

Sandy kept his eyes on his plate for the rest of the visit, only lifting his head when asked a direct question. He was so embarassed. He thought for sure that Rose didnt have feelings for him, they only just met, she probably chalked that kiss up to the heat of the moment like he had told the guys he did. Hell HE didnt understand why he felt so strongly about her already. She had noticed that he went above and beyond when he made the rose when referring to her when he 'spoke'. It was beautiful, a glowing rose with two leaves, starting as a bud and blooming to full each time he said her name, little sparkles drifting around it. His cheeks burned. If he wasnt careful, he would scare her away. He had never felt like this before. What was the human saying? ' love at first sight?' He certainly felt a pang deep in his heart when he first set eyes on her. But he didnt want to show her how he felt about her just yet. She would probably think he was just trying to fuck her. Yeah, she definately would after seeing the others' reactions to her. Damn it all if he didnt want her either. He yearned to see her writhing under him again, this time calling out his name in ectasy...

Sandy looked up from his thoughts as he suddenly realized that no one was talking anymore. He was surprised to see that the others had gone home, and Rose was busy washing the dishes. He sat for a minute and listened to her as she sang softly while she worked.

 _Carry my soul into the night_

 _May the stars light my way_

 _I glory in the sight_

 _as darkness takes the day_

 _Ferte noctem animam meam_

 _Illustre stelle viam meam_

 _Aspectu illo glorior_

 _dumb capit nox diem_

 _Cantate vitae canticum_

 _Sine dolore acte_

 _Dicite eis quos amabam_

 _Numquam obliviscar_

 _Sing a Song, a song of life_

 _lived without regret_

 _Tell the ones, the ones I loved_

 _I will never forget_

 _I will never forget_

He closed his eyes as he listened to her hauntingly beautiful melody, nearly drifting off to sleep while sitting up at the table. He swayed in time with song until she finished, he slowly blinked his eyes open and looked at her.

"That was beautiful" he said out loud, talking for the first time in ages.

She jumped and dropped a dish, it shattered on the ground in front of her "Oh! Sandy! I didn't know you were still here! I didn't know you could talk!"

She had her hand over her heart as if she could still it with a touch.

"Yes I can, but there is rarely someone I wish to hear it"

He drifted over to her, meeting her eyes and holding them with his own as he scooped up the pieces of the plate, tossing them behind him, his sand catching it and dropping it into the trash. He made himself grow to 6'4" and looked down at her, holding her hands and leaned forward, barely an inch between their lips as he said softly

"May I?"

When she nodded slowly he brought his lips down to meet hers in a soft kiss, brushing his lips against her for a fleeting second. He watched as her eyes fluttered shut, a soft sigh coming from her slightly parted lips. He growled quietly, wrapping his arms around her waist and pressing her to him tightly, a small, breathy "Oh!" escaping from her before he caught her lips with his again, this time hungrily, his tongue swiping her full bottom lip, making her gasp. Using that small opening he slipped his tongue in and explored her mouth, reveling in the taste of her. He coaxed her into action, their tongues dancing together before she broke away for air, panting, her lids heavy and half closed, her cheeks flushed and her lips swollen from his kiss. His heart skipped a beat at the sight, pounding harder as he backed her up against the counter. Cupping her ass with his hands he lifted her onto it, tangling one hand into her hair and the other pressed against the small of her back, he buried his face in her neck, planting drugging kisses from her collar bone to her ear, nibbling on it as he moved to stand between her spread legs. He growled as her small hands tangled in his hair, gently pulling his face back to hers, this time she pressed her lips behind his ear, trailing kisses along his jaw to meet his lips in another passionate kiss. She moaned into his mouth and he thought he was going to die again. It was the sexiest sound he had ever heard. He trailed his hands to the hem of her dress, and started to inch it upwards.

"Wait! Wait wait wait..." She said breathlessly as she put her hands on top of his and he immediately stopped and took a step back, separating them. Her face dropped a little as he broke the contact and he almost stepped into her again, but refrained.

"I'm sorry Rose. I shouldn't have taken advantage of you like that" He dragged a hand through his hair. Rose gaped at him

"Taken advantage of me?! Never!" he looked up in time to see her blush, damn she was gorgeous "I just...I have never done any of this before...and I...I think I have feelings for you beyond lust..." She looked up at him from under her lashes. "I don't want to jump into things. I am sorry."

He realized that she didn't want him to be mad at her and pulled her into a hug

"Rose, honey, I understand, we will go as slow as you want. We have all the time in the world! I must admit, I have feelings for you too..."

She laid her head on his chest.

"Really?" She asked softly

"Really." he replied, kissing the top of her wild hair gently. She closed her eyes and relaxed against him, her tiredness setting in. Sandy, being the Sandman felt this and lifted her up bridal style easily, carrying her up to her room and laying her in bed, tucking her in before flying out the balcony doors to his castle.

 _ **Rose**_

Rose woke up snuggled into her blankets. As she laid there she sighed happily, going over the last two days with a giddy feeling in her stomach. She couldnt believe it. So much had happened! She was buzzing with excitement. She quickly did her job and returned home, showering and putting on a light blue, floor length flowy, spaghetti strap dress, the rounded neckline showing the swells of her breasts. She loved this one because when she twirled, it spun around her. She loved dancing in this dress. She left her feet bare, as she preferred them, and left her hair down. She put on her pendant and then she was out the door, grabbing a cup of green tea and a canteen of egg nog on her way. She spread her wings the moment she stepped outside and shot off towards Sandy's island.

On the island Sandy had just come home from his dream rounds. He had been behind from showing Rose around, and collasped into bed, knowing he had few precious hours before his next shift. Before his head touched the pillow, he was out. Rose landed just off Sandy's porch, leaping up the stair she went to knock on the door when it opened wide for her. She thanked the sand and walked in, calling Sandy's name softly. When there was no answer, she went from room to room before finally finding him asleep in his bedroom. She closed the door and quietly asked the sand what time he had gotten in. When it told her that he got in only moments ago, she fretted and inquired if it was because he hadnt had time for dream casting due to her. After the sand confirmed her fears, she wondered to herself if she could do his job for the night. The sand immediately formed a small cloud, and motioned for her to get on. She did so and, leaving the egg nog and a note on the kitchen table, she let the cloud take her wherever it needed.

Sandy woke up feeling like he had slept for a year. He was refreshed and his first thoughts were of seeing Rose. He jumped out of bed and ran to the kitchen, intent on swallowing some eggs real quick when he saw the canteen and the note.

 _Dear Sandy,_

 _I stopped by to give you some egg nog (in the canteen to the right) and spend some time with you, but you were passed out in bed. You shouldn't neglect yourself or let yourself fall behind because of me (the sand ratted you out). Your sand assures me that I can help you with your dream casting, so I am riding a dream cloud and will be back later. Get some sleep._

 _Rose_

 _PS. We left at 6:30am. Not sure when the cloud will bring us back, I'm just letting it take me where it feels the need to go._

Sandy was shocked, it was nightime outside! That meant that she had done her job as well as cast dreams on the otherside of the world before that. She was probably still casting dreams now, she wouldnt know that dream sand didnt stop unless there was no one asleep in the world! He would have to tell his sand not to let her do this again, no matter how much it liked her, it was still his job! Not hers! He hopped on a sand jet and sped toward where he felt the sand was. He flew till he was over Paris, finally spotting the golden dot sitting on top of the Effiel tower, blending in with the lights. Multiple streams flowed from it and he let his jet slam into it, becoming one with the cloud as he jumped and landed on it. He had just stood up straight as something hard plowed into him, knocking him over with a splash of sand. Automatically his arms wrapped around it and his brown eyes met deep blue as smiling lips yelled

"Sandy!"

He grinned, all semblance of anger or worry gone as he drank in the sight of her face. Her wild hair fell in a thick curtain around them, cutting them off from the world as she pressed her lips to his. He felt her knees slide down on either side of his waist and he blushed when he realized she was straddling him. He tried to think of anything else but he felt his cock harden and brush against her inner thigh. She gasped and jumped a little, her breasts pressing into his chest and he groaned. He gently rolled them over, her legs wrapped around his waist and his hardness pressed against her womanhood. He pushed up onto his hands and let his eyes roam over her flushed face, to the bare twin swells of her breasts, the hardness of her nipples straining against the soft blue cotton of her dress, down to where that dress had ridden up to mid thigh, barely covering her intimate area. He groaned with the difficulty as he restrained from thrusting and grinding into her, rolling off and laying beside her instead. She giggled and lay her head on his chest, her fingers tracing little hearts on it.

"Hey Sandy, I assume you got my letter?" He nodded, still trying to calm himself down "Good, I think I did an okay job, your sand seems happy. I really kind of let it do its own thing. Did you get some sleep?"

She looked down at him with concern, scanning his face for any signs of exhaustion. He smiled at her and hugged her to him "Your concern for me is so sweet, Rose. I am good, I haven't slept that long in a millennia." She giggled and touched the tip of his nose.

"Good!" She moved to kiss him again and he touched a finger to her lips to stop her.

"But, you don't need to take over my job Rose, it is my job to do and you don't need to be saddled with anything else." She frowned and rolled off of him, standing up.

"I didn't mean to upset you Sandy, no one can do this better than you can and I certainly wasn't trying to steal your job! I was just trying to help." He stood with her and touched her arm

"No no no I didn't mean that Rose I'm sorry. I meant that your job already takes so much out of you, it must have ben really hard to do your job and mine..." He looked at her pleadingly. She gave him a small smile and his heart popped back to his chest instead of down in his butt.

"I am very tired" She admitted softly. He pulled her close and took off towards her place. She must have sensed where they were going because she looked up at him with half closed eyes and asked in a quiet voice

"May I stay at your house tonight? I don't really want to be alone" He nodded, feeling his heart clench, thinking, oh this woman is going to be the death of me.

 _ **Time Skip**_

Rose and Sandy flew through the air on the dream sand cloud towards Sandy's Island, Sandy holding Rose in his lap and tight against his chest. Both just enjoying each others' presence. Neither knew what this relationship was, nor where it would lead, but at the moment, they didn't care. After centuries of feeling alone they both reveled in the feeling of closeness that being in the other's arms brought. Willing to explore this newfound...more than friends status, they fell into a steady routine. Over the months that followed, Rose would help Sandy dispense dreams during her time in-between her duties and Sandy would fly with her during her flights. When they had the time, they would explore the world together. They ate on the top of the Eiffel tower, the walked through the Louvre, they explored Irish castles, walked the Great wall of China, explored the pyramids in Egypt. They played with leopards in the rainforests and saved a baby elephant from poachers. They rode the rapids and down the falls at Niagara. They did it all. Laughing and smiling, growing closer as each day passed, sharing fleeting kisses and brushing against each other at every opportunity. Neither one acknowledged these little touches, but both felt each one, both very aware of the other.

Today, as Rose sat on the dream cloud with Sandy, watching quietly as he sent a mermaid to a little girl, she had a thought.

"Sandy?" she asked softly.

"Hmm?" he replied, he had grown used to using his voice around her.

"Can you make me a mermaid tail? Since I first watched you make one for the dreams, I have longed to be one. Swimming in the ocean with the wales and dolphins, jumping with narwhales and watching the funny little puffer fish." she said dreamily.

Sandy watched her face as she stared off into the distance, obviously daydreaming. He smiled and flicked a stream of sand at her. She jumped in surprise as the silky sand wrapped around her legs, gasping in delight as they formed a beautiful golden mermaid tail, the scales shining brightly. She giggled as she tested it, twitching her foot, she made the large fin flick up, the sand flying off in droplets like water. She clapped happily and beamed at Sandy, who smiled at her antics, silently commanding the dream sand to speed towards the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. Rose was twisting this way and that when they arrived, admiring the pale yellow swirls that continuously moved along the tail, only glancing up and around them when Sandy ahem-ed softly. Rose leaned over the edge of the cloud, scanning the bright, clear water, looking back at Sandy with a mischievous little grin as he watched her. He shot forward with a small gasp as she dived off the cloud into the turquoise waves. Rolling his eyes at her apparent need to give him a heart attack, he fashioned a snorkel and goggles out of the sand and followed her, jumping into the ocean in a cannonball. He blinked his eyes open as he floated under the water, not needing to come up for air, being a spirit and all. He turned in a slow circle, looking for Rose. He finally spotted her swimming a ways above him. He stared at her, struck by her beauty as her hair streamed down her back, moving with her body in a wave as she stretched her arms in front of her, rolling her entire body to move her tail, the sun shining around her in a halo, shimmering and fracturing in the water. He blushed as he realized she had shed her shirt and was now in just a bright red bra with lace details that matched her hair. She looked magical. She swam faster towards a group of dolphins who nudged her curiously, squeaking at her. she shot Sandy a huge smile before turning back to the playful animals, touching their backs and gripping one of their back fins, she held on as they shot off with her. Sandy sped after, intent on keeping an eye on her, as he knew she could forgo any semblance of safety as she got wrapped up in an adventure, forgetting that she could actually be hurt due to being half human. He caught up with her and found her having abandoned playing with the dolphins for exploring the reef. he watched as she peeked around huge lumps of brain coral, poking into holes in the rock (he had a moment of panic as a sea snake shot from one as she peered into it, but it swam off in search of a better hiding spot). He smiled as she giggled when a kelp plant tickled her chin, following as she swam with a humpback whale and petted a sea turtle, puffing out her cheeks when she scared a puffer fish and it swelled up. She turned to him and waved at him to come over when she bobbed next to a manatee. He swam up next to her, thinking again how gorgeous she is as her deep red hair floated around her, making her pale skin and pink cheeks stand out as she flicked her arms up to keep herself under the water. He peered around her curiously as she excited pointed to something behind her. He saw this little gray blob floating next to the huge manatee, and noticed it was a tiny baby, peeking shyly from being his mother's tail. He glanced at Rose's face and was struck at the look of compassion on her face making her eyes soft as she drifted nearer. She motioned for the baby to come closer, smiling kindly at it, exuding love and warmth. The little baby slowly came out, and nudged her hand with its head quickly before darting back. She giggled and reached out, gently stroking its back. The baby closed its eyes briefly before swimming around Rose in circle, appearing to decide she was alright and was ready to play. She and Sandy played for hours with the tiny creature, Rose occasionally having to surface for air. Finally, Sandy pulled Rose to the surface, figuring it would be about time for her to bring nighttime to the eastern hemisphere. Rose popped her head out of the water, panting.

"Oh Sandy! This has been the best day ever! Thank you so much!" she hugged him tightly, her hair tickling his sides as it drifted on the surface of the water.

"Your welcome, love" he said, his arms wrapping around her as well.

Sandy heard he soft intake of breath and blushed as he realized what he had said. He quickly let go and scooted back, glancing at her face. He was stunned as he saw a bright pink blush flushing her face as she met his brown eyes with shy blue ones.

"You love me?"

She asked it softly, barely a whisper as she touched a trembling hand to her burning cheek. A sudden confidence flooded through Sandy as he watched this beautiful, strong woman reduced to a blushing schoolgirl at the notion that he might love her. Taking her hands in his he floated them up to their sand cloud, dispensing the sand that made up her tail and transfiguring it into a light sundress to keep her covered, he met her eyes.

"Yes, Rose, my dear, I love you. I love you with all that I am, and all that I will ever be. I adore you. You make my heart soar when you are near me. It leaps with joy whenever I see you. You are the first thing I think about when I wake and I fall asleep to dreams of you. You are my whole world."

He pulled her close, their bodies flush against each other, his hand moved to cup her cheek, his thumb brushing a tear as it slid down her cheek. His heart dropped.

"Why are you crying?"

Rose looked up at him, (his 6'4" form his norm now) and choked out a sob

"Oh Sandy! I love you too!"

She threw her arms around his neck as their lips met in a passionate kiss.


	8. Chapter 8

**Dreams of Night Chapter 8**

 _ **Sandy**_

Sandy was elated. She loved him back! He couldnt remember a time when he had ever been this happy. He held her even tighter. He couldn't get her close enough. Heat pulled low as she trailed kisses down his neck and the hand that cupped her cheek moved to tangle in her damp hair. He pulled her head back gently and pressed lips against her hungrily. He growled as she swiped her tongue across his lower lip. He caught her bottom lip in his teeth, biting gently, her soft gasp egging him on. The hand around her waist drifted to cup her ass cheek, squeezing it roughly. He groaned inwardly as this elicted a low moan from Rose, he pulled back reluctantly, searching her half lidded eyes for an answer. She nodded slowly, her eyes burning with a lust that mirrored his own. He groaned aloud at her swollen lips and flushed cheeks, she was the epitome of seduction, excuding sex as she poked her tongue out, moistening her lips. His eyes focused on them and it was as if his whole world narrowed to those lips, her lips. He scooped her up in his arms as their cloud sped off to his home, his lips never once leaving hers as he stepped off the cloud onto his porch, having made it there it record time. He kicked open his door as they surfaced for air, both panting. He walking briskly, making a beeline for his bedroom as Rose planted kisses on every part of him her lips could reach, her arms around his neck. He kicked open the door to his room and gently laid her on the bed. His bed. Just the sight of her watching him with half lidded eyes, her hair splayed around her as he climbed up her, pulling her arms above her head, stroking his hands down them as she arched her back, pressing her breasts against his chest.

"Sandy"

Came her breathy moan and he growled low in his throat, his head felt like it was floating, his mind clouded with lust, his only thoughts of her as he grabbed the hem of the sundress, pulling it up and off of her, kissing down her neck to the swell of her breast, pulling the cup down to expose her tight pink nipple. He looked up at her, meeting her eyes as he flicked his tongue against the nub, smirking as she jerked and gasped, her lips making a small O. He caught her tight bud in his mouth and sucked gently, getting harder and nipping it as she moaned, her hands tangling in his hair. He summoned some sand and used it to slice the cloth of her bra between her breasts, letting them spring free as the bra slid off. One hand kneaded and squeezed one soft breast as he trailed kisses and licks down her flat stomach to the thin matching red lace panties. He gripped them and ripped them in half, the pieces floating to land on the bed and floor as Rose let out a small squeak. Sandy immediately stopped, coming up her to place his hand on either side of her head.

"Are you alright? Still want to do this?" he ruffed out huskily. Her hands drifted to his chest, long, pale fingers splayed against it, she looked up at him from underneath her lashes.

"I am just nervous...I have never done anything like this before..." she blushed at her own naivety. He brushed a stray curl out of her face, brushing a soft kiss against her lips.

"If at any time you want to stop, all you have to do is say so. I will NEVER do anything you don't want me to." he vowed with conviction, holding her gaze until she nodded.

He smiled at her, trailing kisses from her jaw down her neck, across the swell of her breast and down her stomach to the junction between her legs. He watched her blushing face as he placed his hands on her thighs, gently spreading them to reveal the short, deep red curls at her core. He grinned wickedly as he leaned his head down, watching her breath hitch as his tongue darted out and struck her clit. He groaned at the taste of her, heavenly sweet and tangy as he devoured her, her mewling telling him he was doing something right. He didn't stop until he felt her legs tense and shake as her back arched off the bed, liquid squirting from her as she came. He smiled and wiped his mouth with the sleeve of his robe, sitting up to look at her face, flushed and panting, naked. He had never seen anything so beautiful.

"You are gorgeous" he told her in a low voice, disrobing before sliding between her legs, lining his long, hard member up with her entrance. He watched her eyes widen as she saw his throbbing length.

"oh my...its huge" she whispered.

He kissed her reassuringly as he pressed the tip to her core, pushing in slowly. He groaned at her tightness, worrying for a moment that he wouldn't fit as he had to stop frequently to let her adjust before advancing, finally coming to a stop at the thin barrier of her virginity.

"Rose, look at me, love" he commanded her softly.

Rose opened her eyes, having screwed them closed tightly as he stretched her almost to the breaking point, the burning pain causing her to breathe heavily. Her eyes met his and she felt the pain lessen slightly as she adjusted to accommodate his girth. He fretted inside as he saw the pain swimming in her eyes so soon, he didn't know it was so going to be so painful for her, and he hadn't even gone halfway inside her yet, hadn't yet broken through her virginity.

"This is going to hurt, my love" he warned her, his husky voice tinged with guilt.

Rose bit her bottom lip nervously as she nodded her head. Sandy bent to press a kiss to her lips as he slammed his hips forward, breaking through her barrier and burying himself to the hilt. Rose screamed out in pain and tears clouded her vision. Sandy stilled, letting the pain ebb as he brushed her tears away with his thumbs, cupping her face as he rested on his elbows, kissing her cheeks, eyelids, nose and forehead, showering her with his love.

"Are you ready?" he whispered, the strain of holding back casting a tightness to his voice.

Rose nodded and bit her lip again, expecting more pain as Sandy slowly withdrew and, just as slowly, pushed back in, burying himself all the way, setting a steady pace and rhythm. Rose gasped as he brushed against a sensitive spot deep within her, realizing with wonder how he no longer hurt, leaving only an exquisite fullness. She moaned and gripped Sandy's shoulders as he ground against her clit, her nails digging in as he thrusted against that special spot. Sandy hissed as she tightened impossibly around him. He picked up the pace, grinding deep into her with every thrust, his hands gripping her hips and pinning them to the mattress as he slammed home at a feverish pace, her keening moans edging him closer. He felt her walls contract as she shattered, calling out his name as she orgasmed around his cock. He grunted as he hit her cervix and came, shooting load after load into her, her spasming core milking him. He collapsed onto the bed next to her, spent. He pulled her against him, turning onto his side as she pressed her bare ass against his sensitive cock. He nuzzled her neck and brushed her hair back out of her face as she turned her head to look up at him, sleepy satisfaction in her eyes as he kissed her lovingly.

"Sandy..." she breathed "that was...wow" she giggled softly, wiggling her ass against him.

He chuckled quietly, kissing her temple "I had a great time too. Get some sleep, woman" he grunted, his heart swelling with love.

They snuggled closer, drifting off to sleep, neither one having to say just how much they loved the other...they already knew.


	9. Chapter 9

**Dreams of Night Chapter 9**

 ** _Rose_**

Rose woke to a buzzing at her wrist. She sat up groggily, wincing at the soreness between her legs as she touched the rose on the bracelet Sandy had given her the day after they first met that she had enchanted to alert her when she had 30 minutes until she had to bring night to one side of the world. She glanced down at the sleeping figure next to her, love welling so strongly inside her heart that it threathened to burst. She gently kissed Sandy's forehead, and slid quietly off the bed, making no noise as she slipped out of the room, careful not to wake him. As she tiptoed down the stairs she found her mind drifting to thoughts of last nights exploits, making her blush at their wonton behavior. She absently thought about what her parents would think as she stepped out onto the porch, breathing the cool December air deep into her lungs. How she loved winter! The cold air brushed against her skin, refreshing her, invigorating her. She walked down the front steps , toes digging into the soft sand of the beach as her wings shuddered free. She silently asked the sand to let her love sleep before taking off, flying through the dawn sky as she made her way to the edge of the western hemisphere. She found it a little strange to be flying by herself, as she had so rarely done so these past few months, getting used to Sandy's constant presence. _Mmmmmm...Sanderson_...she breathed out softly to herself, dirty thoughts running around in her mind as she contemplated all the naughty things she wanted to try with him. She often wondered how she was so damn lucky to have met him...and oh! How she loved him! She was deep in her thoughts that she skidded to halt halfway into the pacific ocean, having passed her normal starting point. She shook her head to clear it as she focused on her task, gliding back to just off the California coast. She took off across the sky, dragging the darkness after her, and, as the land below her streaked by, she wondered how someone as bright and sunny as Sandy could love someone as dark as she. Her whole world revolved around darkness and night, though she thought the night was beautiful, sometimes even more so than the day. On the other hand, she argued, Sandy's job is dreams, and only at night do people sleep and dream...she sighed. She needed to shake this insecurity. Maybe some girl time with Tooth! She grinned. She hadnt seen her for months! She slowed down at the other end of the hemisphere, stopping the darkness from leaking out her wings as she flew over Dublin, staring at all the Christmas lights. Damn had it really been that long? Was it almost Christmas? She dropped down into an alleyway outside a coffee shop, her secret vice. She pulled some darkness out of the shadows and fashioned it into leggings and a huge, fluffy black sweater, the hem stopping almost at her knees. She added some black flats and chopsticks, twisting her hip length hair into a knot and sticking the chopsticks through it, a few long curls escaping and framing her face as she walked to the door of the coffee shop. She had just reached for the knob when a strange feeling swept through her. She turned and looked around, the sinking feeling in her stomach telling her someone was watching her. Not seeing anyone, she shrugged off the feeling and pushed open the door, allowing the humans inside to see her so it wouldnt look like the door had just come open by itself. She didnt notice the cold silver eyes staring at her from the across the street.

Rose grinned and thanked the barista for her venti pumpkin spice latte, wrapping her cold hands around the warm cup. She headed over to a secluded corner where a squishy looking couch was calling her name. She sat down, tucking her feet under her and leaned against the arm, propping one elbow on it as she sipped her steaming drink, relaxing in the warm ambience of the small place. This was her favorite coffee shop. Her secret little human place that she hadnt told anyone about. Not even Sandy. She felt a little guilty as she thought about that. She didnt like omitting things from him, and she promised herself that the next time she saw him, she would invite him to her special place. Introduce him to the joys of java. She was just thinking about what type of drink Sandy might like when a tall, dark figure walked into the shop. She watched as he drifted to the bar, stealing a drink someone was waiting for, and realized he was a spirit when he walked right through the person who was going to get their drink. She watched him smile, pointed teeth glinting as the customer argued with the barista over the missing drink. She frowned at him, she disliked stealing, and studied him as he noticed her and started making his way over to her. His hair is like Sandy's, she thought, it was spiked but slicked back in the front, the spikes all on the back of his head, and the hair was black as night. He was dressed in all black robes, his skin gray and ashy. He was scarily thin, with thin, dark grey lips, but it was his eyes that struck Rose the most. They were cold steel. Silver orbs that never once wavered from her face. She felt...fear...rising in her, though she couldnt think of what she would be scared of. Her heart beat faster with the fear coursing through her, and she could swear that his grin widened just a hair, as if he KNEW she was scared, and delighted in it. She disliked him instantly. He came to a stop, standing right in front of her, looking down into her eyes. He stood there a second to long to be normal, before plopping down into the armchair across from the couch on which she sat. She narrowed her eyes at him as he sipped the pilfered beverage.

"So.." he stated softly, his voice like a thousand insect wings, making her shudder "since you can see me, I am guessing you are a spirit." He made a big show of looking around, pausing at the multiple men who kept glancing at her. "But I can tell that humans notice you. And not just kids..." he trailed off, leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees, his chin on top of his hands "Now how is that possible?" he stared at her intently, making the fear welling in her swell, causing her to stutter.

"W...w-well, I I..."she cleared her throat and shoved down the fear, locking it into a box and ignoring it, shaking herself slightly, her voice coming out strong and confident "I am the daughter of the Man in the Moon and Mother Nature. I guess that comes with certain perks, as well as cons" she stuck her hand out to him, noting with satisfaction the surprise on his face "I am Lunar Rose, its a pleasure to meet you."

The strange man smirked, quickly shaking off his surprise, grabbing her hand with an astounding strength that was belied by his thinness. His skin was deathly cold and rough, the nails very long and pointed like talons. Just touching him sent a sickening feeling through her that almost made her nauseous.

"The pleasure is all mine, Ms. Rose, you can call me Pitch, Pitch Black".

Rose gasped and jerked her hand away, standing up quickly, glad she had had enough sense to cloak her presence to humans after he had pointed out that they could see her.

"Pitch Black! The Guardians told me about you!" she stumbled backwards, towards the door.

He stood up and glided towards her, completely unfazed, the smirk still plastered on his face.

"Stay back!"

She held her hand up in front of her, wishing with all her heart that she would have had the sense to get Sandy to come with her, or at least left a note for him about where she was going. Then again at the time she left she hadn't known she was going to stop by here. He continued to advance towards her, a devious look in his eye as he got closer and closer. He made to grab her and she blasted him with the same bright ball of light that she had hit her father with, only when she hit Pitch, he went out the window into the street, the glass shattering. She ran out the door and furled her wings, shooting up into the sky, to worried about getting away to notice that he had melted away into the shadows, gone. If only for the moment.

All the fear that Rose had bottled up during their conversation was coursing through her, making her speed faster and faster, unaware of where she was going till she crashed through the huge doors of the North Pole. She screamed as she realized she was going to fast to stop and covered her face as she slammed into a floating jellyfish thing. Crying out as one of her wings went through the railing on the balcony, breaking it, one broken spike even stabbing through it. She curled in on herself in pain, landing with loud bang onto the globe room floor, skidding until her head collided with the large globe, knocking it off its axis. The last thing she knew was a loud voice screaming for someone to get Sandy before everything went black.

 ** _Sanderson_**

Sandy woke with a smile on his face, stretching languily. He sat up and looked around, a little bummed that Rose wasnt next to him, but when he noticed the sunlight streaming in from the window, he figured she was off bringing night to the other side of the world. He got up and walked to the shower, turning on the hot water, letting it steam up the room as he looked in the mirror, fingering the shallow stratches on his shoulder from Rose's nails as they dug in during their lovemaking. Sandy grinned, flexing his arms in the mirror, watching as the stratches waved and moved with him. Hopping into the shower Sandy immediately missed Rose, thinking of how sexy it would be to do her under the hot spray. He felt himself grow hard and glanced down at his hardening length. Something glinted near the base. He peered closer and noticed dried flecks of silver were all around his cock. _What the hell?_ he thought, rubbing some over and pinching it between his fingers, bringing it up to his face. It washed away in the shower, a small amount running down the drain after he washed his groin. _Like blood_ , the thought popped unbidden into his mind. _Blood? Didn't some women bleed after their first time_? he pondered this while he stood in the warm stream, letting the water pound against his back. Spirits cant die, they dont bleed. But _she_ isnt all spirit, she's half human. After he was done he went into the bedroom and inspected the sheets. Sure enough, there was a tiny pool of dried silver, shining in the late afternoon sun. After he ate breakfast and cleaned up, picking up Rose's ruined bra and shredded underwear from the bedroom floor, he began to wonder where she was at. _What could be taking her so long_? He thought, frowning. Did she regret what they did? Was she mad at him? Sandy hopped onto a dream cloud, riding it throught the house and out the front door, speeding off in the direction of her palace. She had told him the wind current it rode, so that he could always find it. As he was passing over the Atlantic, he saw the Northern Lights streak across the sky, and his stomach dropped. North only sent out the lights during emergencies, and never had an emergency been so pressing that North would let them out during the day, when it was impossible for the natural ones to ever be seen. He hesitated for a moment, the urge to check on Rose after their lovemaking nearly winning out. After another second he reluctantly changed direction and raced to the North Pole, his stomach sinking lower and lower with every passing second.

When Sandy neared the Pole, he saw the enormous twin front doors broken and hanging off their hinges. His heart in his throat, he sped into through them and took in the carnage that had become the normally chaotically organized workshop. Toys lay littered on the ground, the decorations were in disarray, the balcony overlooking the main work space had a huge chunk missing, the railing broken and splintered. He noticed with growing horror that there was a copius amount of shiny silver liquid dripping from the destroyed rails.

 _Oh no...oh no oh no oh no..._ he thought panic mounting as he scanned the globe room, his eyes immediately landing on huge black wings tied to poles stuck in the ground, one bleeding profusely as yetis held towels against it. In the middle was a limp body, lying it back in a low cot, blood red hair spilling over the edges, silver matting some as a good foot of it rested on the floor. The body's face was hidden by the other Guardians, all of whom were standing around it, solemnly talking in low voices. Sandy couldn't process the scene. _That couldn't be Rose. It_ _ **couldn't**_ _be HIS Rose lying in the cot_. His dream cloud slowly came forward, disappearing and dropping Sandy to his knees on the ground when he saw Rose's face, deathly pale and stark white against the her hair, he grabbed the hand that hung limply off the cot, fingertips brushing the floor, and he spoke, his voice no louder than a whisper.

"What happened?" he said, his eyes never leaving her face, noting with growing panic that even her normally flushed cheeks and red lips were white and colorless. The others gaped at him, not believing that they had just heard him speak.

"WHAT HAPPENED?!" he screamed at the top of his lungs, a small part of him hoping his voice would wake her. "WHY ARE HER WINGS TIED UP?! WHAT DID YOU GUYS DO TO HER?!"

Gently, he placed her hand on her stomach, rising as he shouted, his face so full of rage that the others stumbled back away from him. Only North, his oldest friend, stood still, holding out his hands.

"Sanderson, we didn't do this. She came crashing in, she was going to fast to stop in time. Her wings..." North looked at them sadly. "her wings were to big spread at full length to be indoors. They were damaged."

He gestured at the yetis attempting to stop the flow of blood from one, and the other, Sandy noticed, was bent at a weird angle. It was broken. His eyes landed on the thick wooden poles her beautiful wings were tied to and Sandy teared up, glaring at North. North stopped him before he could say something.

"Sandy, we had to tie them down, they kept trying to shrink back into her. We have to set the bones and stop the bleeding, or they could be permanently damaged. Or worse, she could bleed out."

Sandy's eyes widened as the implication of what North said sank in. He was saying she could die. DIE. Some part of her is human, she could DIE. And Manny had said he didn't know the extent of her powers, insinuated that he didn't know if she could come back, to keep her safe. Sandy fell to his knees beside her, pressing his forehead against hers.

"Rose...Rose please...wake up, love. Baby wake up!" he shook her head gently.

Her eyes never even fluttered. His heart sank. He looked up into the sad faces of his friends pleadingly, silently begging them to fix her. He stood up and, stalking over to where the yetis were trying to staunch the flow of silver from her wing, he shoved them out of the way, pushing his sand into her wound until it was completely stuffed, no blood seeping through. He ran over to the other wing and with a sickening feeling, used his sand again, this time, he wrapped the broken wing bone in sand and with a deep breath, snapped it straight with a terrible nauseating crack.

Finally Rose woke, screaming in agony.

Everyone standing around Rose jumped back in shock and surprise when Rose screamed in agony as Sandy reset her wing bone, her back arched as she involuntarily tried to move away from the pain. Sandy instantly appeared by her side, holding her hand and brushing tendrils of hair out off her clammy forehead as she started shaking violently.

"Sandy, she's going into shock" Toothiana whispered, her voice laden with worry and fear for her friend.

"Well how do I make her better?" Sandy frantically turned around, searching his friends' faces. "How do I make it better?!"

All of his years of wisdom and experience seemed to fly out the window as the love of his life lay shaking and in unimaginable pain. He felt helpless as he continued to stroke her face, his hands fluttering along her prone body, unsure of what to do, what would help and what would make her worse. Tears streamed down his face as he looked on, holding her through the tremors that racked her body. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Rose lay still. Sandy's heart stuttered to a stop, he thought for sure he had lost her. He leaned in close and felt the softest of breaths caress his hair as he held his ear over her lips. Sighing in relief, he laid her against the pillows, turning to North as a motherly looking yeti wiped her face clean with a warm cloth before placing a cool one across her forehead.

"We need to untie her wings. the bleeding has stopped and the bones are replaced. I sent some sand through her pores into her body to wrap around the broken bones, holding them in place. Having them out like this cannot be helping her." Sandy frowned at the offending ropes that held her to the sinister looking poles staked through the floor. North nodded, being the only one that had stayed up through the hours with Sandy. The others were all passed out on various couches and piles of stuffed animals, having long since fallen asleep.

North and Sandy each moved to a wing, gently unwrapping the ropes from around the huge black wings. A tear trailed down Sandy's cheek as he saw the damage the ropes had done to the inky black feathers as it restrained them. Multiple were bent and broken, several falling to the floor, stark against the light tan color of the floor. When the last loop had been untangled from them, Rose's wings slowly shrunk down, crackling with her dried blood as they sunk into her back. Curious and worried, Sandy gently turned Rose over after the wings had fully disappeared, pulling down the shoulder of her sweater. He gasped softly as he saw the little black wing tattoo, the wings now laced with the thinnest lines of gold. His sand, he realized, a funny feeling spreading through him. He was happy that his sand was now part of her, but he was saddened at the reason it was there. He gently scooped her up in his arms, holding her to his chest bridal style. Her head lulled back, her arm hanging limply down instead of their normal places snuggled against his chest and draped around his neck.

"Where is the hospital wing, North?" Sandy turned to him slowly, careful not to jar Rose, her hair a crimson curtain brushing the floor in an arch as he pivoted. North sighed and ran a hand through his white hair.

"Well, Sandy, we don't really have one here. Not a good one at least. I'll be sure to stock it with all the latest medical equipment as soon as I can, but at the moment, it is really just a recovery room." he shrugged apologetically.

"That's okay, North, I just want to make her as comfortable as possible now."

North gestured for Sandy to follow him as he started up the debris-laden stairs, the yetis already started on the clean up as the elves dared each other to dive off the destroyed balcony. Sandy followed North, his steps automatic and robotic, his mind never straying from thoughts of Rose. He missed her smile, her giggles. He wanted more than anything in the world for her to blink those starry eyes and kiss him. He sighed, the weight of his worry heavy on his heart as his mind went over what had happened. North had said that she had careened through the workshop, speeding so fast that she was unable to slow down as she streaked through the doors. What had caused her to be so careless? Had she been scared? Worried? Excited? He shook his head mentally at the last notion. He knew she was excitable, but to get this carried away? No. So that left worried...and scared. What had scared his confident, adventurous woman so badly? He had seen her venture into an active volcano in Hawaii, saying she wanted to see if it was home to a "volcano spirit" which she had swore her mother said looked like dragons. Nothing scared Rose. At least, nothing that they had ever come across in their adventures. His mind ran itself in circles as he tried to think of something, but his mind went back to Rose's welfare as he laid her gently on a huge bed covered in emerald green pillows and a matching down duvet. He carefully pulled her hair to the side and over her shoulder so it wouldn't bother her. After tucking the covers up onto her chest and laying her hands over her stomach, Sandy dropped heavily into the cushy armchair that a yeti had pulled into the room and up next to the bed. The bed, being a king sized sleigh style, seemed to swallow Rose. The room in which North had led them was small and cozy, a fire crackling merrily in the hearth opposite the bed belying the room's purpose. The walls were a light, airy blue, with clouds painted on the ceiling. The one small window overlooked a frozen lake surrounded by ancient pines. Sandy had to admit that the room was perfectly suited to Rose. Like it knew what she liked and what would comfort her when she woke. Sandy sat next to the bed, his head bobbing as the stress of the days events exhausting him. He absently thought about how the children of the world wouldn't get any dreams tonight...a thought popped into his head, making him jump up and run to the door, calling for North and the rest of the Guardians. Regardless of the fact that most of them had just been sleeping, every single one appeared outside the room in less than a minute, panting.

"What?! What wrong?" they all said, or some variation of that, Sandy wasn't paying much attention.

"Who is going to plunge half the world into nighttime while Rose is down for the count?!"

The Guardians looked at each other, no one able to come up with a good solution to their predicament.

"We'll just have to wake her up, mate." Bunny shrugged. "From What you tell me she's a bit of a brumby. She should bounce back quick."

Toothiana stared at Aster incredulously. "Are you serious?! Doing her job on a NORMAL day exhausts her! If she does it in this state it really will kill her!" she popped the back of his head with an open handed smack. As Bunny rubbed his head and stared daggers at Tooth, Jack's face dropped from worry to solemn resolve. The face one imagines he might see on a man about to sacrifice his life for another.

"There is only one thing we can do. " Everyone stopped and gave Jack their full attention. He met all their eyes one by one and stated resolutely "We have to tell Manny."

Tooth gasped in dismay. North agreed reluctantly. Bunny's ears drooped. Sandy felt sickening butterflies in his belly. Manny would NOT be happy. He would be furious that his only daughter lay inches from death with no one having a clue as to why. As Sandy resigned himself to his fate, about to tell him friends that he should be the one to tell Manny, Toothiana spoke up, a puzzled look on her face.

"Didn't Rose say that the Man in the Moon couldn't save her mom because he couldn't get to her? Because it was daytime?"

Everyone looked as her like she was crazy. Sandy failed to see how that was important. Toothiana huffed in annoyance.

"I MEAN...hasn't the sun already risen on the other side of the world?"

Sandy stared at her, shocked. She was right. It was past time for Rose to cast this hemisphere into darkness. The other would already be in full daytime mode. They couldn't reach Manny. There was nothing they could do. All they could do was wait for her to wake, and try to solve the chaos that befell the world while they waited.


	10. Chapter 10

**Dreams of Night Chapter 10**

 _ **Sandy**_

Sandy sat in the chair next to Rose's bed and tried his best to stay awake. The others had all gone off to work extra hard at their jobs. Jack attempting to distract most of the world from the constant sun with snow and tricks, North making bigger, better presents and putting lights in random trees in the forests, and other wonderous things. Tooth was leaving twice or thrice the amount of coins she usually did, as well as telling her minions to let themselves be seen as much as possible and had a whole sector touching every tooth case to release the happy memories inside. Aster was making the most beautiful flowers spring up all over, making sure that the trees budded bountifully wherever Jack wasnt able to flurry. They tried to convince Sandy that his dreams were needed, that his job would make the backlash from Rose's abscense lessen with every dream. But he couldnt bring himself to leave. Every time he tried to walk out the door, he imagined that he heard a soft sigh, a whisper; saw a stir as he glanced back. He couldnt bear the notion of her waking up alone, without him there to comfort her. The need to touch her ever few minutes was very real. He HAD to reassure himself that she was still alive, her chest barely moving with each breath, but still MOVING. So he waited, and watched, and hoped that the others efforts were enough. They would have to be enough.

 _ **Rose**_

She felt like she was lost, floating in a sea of inky blackness with no feeling, no light nor sound other than those of her own thoughts. When she tried to speak aloud to just to hear something, anything, no sound came out. _Why was she like this? How is she supposed to break free?_ Her whole purpose was darkness, but her darkness was supposed to bring rest, rejuvenation, and relaxation. Cuddles and warm blankets and kisses goodnight and I love yous were freely shared. For her darkness meant the promise of dreams and the endless possiblity looming on the morrow. This darkness was different, it wasnt even darkness, where colors were still distinguishable, just muted and deeper; this was pure blackness. Fear and nothingness surrounded her, cold and cloughing as it tried to suffocate her as she breathed it in. It filled her with fear was it spread through her, freezing her body as she was forced to ride the waves into the unknown, filled with suspense and the promise of nightmares instead of dreams... _nightmares_? _Nightmares!_ She was stuck in a neverending nightmare! _Who would...Pitch! Oh that dirty, rotten son of a...!_ Malevolent laughter seemed to come from nowhere and everywhere at once, wrapping around her like a vice.

"Took you long enough to figure it out" a raspy voice replaced the snicker. She felt breath on the back of her neck, shudders rippling through her like it was a stone in a pond.

"What do you want, Pitch?" she tried to speak, but still no sound came out. Panic began creeping in. She knew it was Pitch, there was no one else it could be.

"I want this. Darkness. Forever. And you're going to give it to me." Pitch breathed in her ear smugly.

Rose cringed away from the breath as much as she could. "I would NEVER!" she yelled in her mind definately, realizing her must be able to hear her.

"Oh you will, or your mother...well, let's just leave it at she wont be around to grow many flowers, though she would be pushing up daisies if you refuse" the dark chuckle ended his threat. Rose recognized what he meant, she knew the expression 'pushing up daisies' was akin to 'sleeping with the fishes'. Death. He was threathening to kill her mother. She scoffed.

"I wont be intimidated by minatory jests. You cant kill a spirit, they're already dead." she had a momentary sense of relief well within her, he had no leg to stand on. She would die before he won.

"Oh, but you can" Pitch breathed out, his voice now floating to the other ear. "there are ways to banish the lingering life force that makes a spirit to the afterlife."

Rose now felt real fear. Panic seeped into her bones. She thought about her mom, beautiful amber hair, curled like hers, green eyes that matched the ivy the always twined around her arms or legs or her hair, soft, smiling face. She wouldnt want to be the cause of suffering, for humans or her beloved plants, both of whom needed the sun to thrive, and she knew what her answer was.

"It makes no difference. I WONT be apart of your plot. My mother would gladly give her spirit to save others!" she spoke with growing confidence.

Pitch practically growled with pleasure, this was going exactly as planned.

"And what of Sandy?" he purred against her neck.

She felt cold, wet lips brush her skin and she nearly hurled, the blood draining out of her face. _No...not Sandy..._ she felt tears in her eyes, her heart heavy and breaking, but knowing it didn't change her mind. "He would be proud to sacrifice his life to protect those who can not protect themselves." she knew it was true, "he is honorable and brave, a true gentleman. Nothing like YOU, you disgusting worm!" she screamed with her thoughts.

Pitch roared with rage and she felt a strong hand grab and squeeze her neck. She struggled for air, wriggling in an attempt to get free when hot, humid, repulsing breath exploded in her face in a cruel whisper "I am coming for you Rose, and I WILL have you. You can garuntee it"  
Just as she thought she would pass out (can you pass out when you are dreaming?) the hand shoved her backwards and she was falling.

 ** _Sandy_**

Sandy startled and jumped up as Rose jerked violently in the bed. He leaned over her as her bright blue eyes blinked slowly open, the shadows in the room allowing her to fully open them without pain. His worry swelled as he saw the fear swimming in their blue depths.

"Rose? Rose, baby. Love?" his fingers gently caught her cheeks, stroking and cupping them as he turned her face to his. He closed his eyes, "Rose..."he whispered softly, brushing his lips against hers.

Relief flooded through him, a tidal wave snuffing out a bonfire as he felt her body relax under his. When he opened his eyes they met hers; he watched as understanding replaced the blind fear and panic. Her breathing slowed. He smiled reassuringly at her. Elation grew at having her back.

"Baby, oh darlin, you scared me. I have been so worried." He helped her to sit up, handing her a glass of water as he rattled on about sweet nothings until she shared his tentative smile around her sips of ice water. His face suddenly turned serious "Rose, I am aware you do not feel well, and your injuries, especially to your wings will make this undoubtly difficult, but the world is out of balance. There is no night anywhere on Earth. There hasnt been for 4 days. We have to get you up, you have to bring the dark baby." He pleaded with her.

Her mouth dropped open in shock. "Four days?! What happened?!" She flung the covers off as she sprung out of bed, wobbling and falling against Sandy, looking up into his puzzled face.

"Rose you crashed into North's workshop. You broke one wing and the other was stabbed clean through."

How could she not remember? Did she hit her head as well? There were no apparent injuries...Sandy was flabbergasted. He debated taking her to a hospital to get checked out by a professional, but was too worried that, along with her blood, something would be different about her, and they would lock her away. He decided to scout around the other spirits, thinking that maybe one of them had to have been a doctor or medical personelle before their deaths. He held Rose close to him, his arms wrapped around her securely. He wanted to always keep her safe from harm, but there was no getting out of this. He conjured a sand cloud beneath them and swiftly carried them out into the frigid air, careful to keep to a route that minimized the amount of damaged that Rose could see. Once they were sufficiently far enough away, Sandy tilted Rose's chin up, bringing her eyes to his.

"My love, which side of the world is supposed to be nighttime right now?" he inquired gently. Rose's eyes widened impossibly, she had already forgotten the imperative situation they were in, having been safe and warm in Sandy's arms where no bad things seemed to penetrate.

"Oh Sandy, what have I done?" Rose's bottom lip trembled with sadness and shame, she couldnt really remember what had made her so scared as she flew into North's workshop, but in hindsight she shouldnt have flown so fast and recklessly. This was entirely her fault, and her father would be livid when he was able to contact Earth again. This alone almost made her hesitate. Almost.

Sandy had never seen a more heartwrenching expression on Rose's face. He pulled her flush against him for one final hug before the work got started. Then gently unwrapped their arms and took a small step back, letting her have space enough to think. Rose commanded the cloud to find her castle, which would be exactly at the position that she was supposed to start at, as it always did when she was alittle late, though never had she been behind enough for humans to notice, certainly not a day, or days, as she should say. The sand cloud, as if sensing the urgency of the predicament, sped off faster than it ever had before, rivalling her speed when dragging the night sky. Both Sandy and Rose had to lay down and hold on for dear life. When they stopped short in front of her palace, both were thrown off and landed with a puff of cloud into the sunset flower field. As the stood and turned towards the castle, both were shocked to see that the entire estate was an angry red, pulsing like a heart, with sirens blaring. Rose felt that shame push to the forefront of her psych again. Squashing it down she slowly released and tested her wings. Wincing she heard and felt the sharp pains as her left wing cracked, popping as she spread it further despite the insisent throbbing. The other, she was shocked to see, had a hole filled with golden sand. She touched it, and it turned black, matching the shade of her wings. Sandy tried not to compare that action to Pitch's nightmares, understanding that she couldnt have a yellow streak across the sky in the middle of the night. Rose shuddered with effort and, dreading the pain with a knot in her stomach after having so much trouble at just unfurling them, she lifted her massive wings and shot off into the blue sky.

 _ **Rose**_

Rose nearly screamed with pain as she sped as fast as she was able across the sky. She glanced over her shoulder, checking to make sure that her wings were working properly, and was satisfied at their performance, even though the pain escalated the wider they stretched across the horizon. At least the night sky that dragged out behind them was as black as ever, casting the white clouds in a gray coating. Tears were streaming down her cheeks and dripping off her chin by the time she finished and was nearly home again. As her palace came into view, she spotted Sandy where she had left him among the pink flowers in the meadow. She landed heavily, stumbling. Sandy was right there to catch her, cradling her gently, stroking her hair and whispering assurances to her. A well of love erupted in her soul, she was smitten with this gentle, enticing man who was as perspicacious as he was ebullient. She nuzzled her face into his chest, stifling a whimper as her wings shrank back into their latent form. He caressed her back after her wings were gone, rubbing away some of the ache that persisted. That is where the others found them, all of them having saw the change in the sky and were titillated at the prospect of her awakening. Tooth fluttered in, twittering to her fairies on their job well done. North slid up in his sleigh, the snow globe portal shimmering closed behind him. Jack and Bunny arrived together, Jack holding a pale looking Aster tight against his chest as Bunny squeezed his eyes shut. As soon as the two landed Aster jumped back and blushed, silently daring anyone to make a comment. Rose giggled behind her hand and smiled up at Sandy, the Guardians all talking at once as to how happy they were she was alright.

"Yes you did a number on my shop, no? It is okay I is wiping clean the slate." North stated after they calmed down a bit, brushing his massive hand across one of his tattooed forearms.

Rose thanked him graciously before addressing the group as a whole.

"What happens now? Does everything go back to normal and we let the humans eventually forget about it?" she fidgeted nervously, wringing her hands. Everyone looked confounded, as this particular situation had never happened before, they didn't know what to expect in the near future. Rose invited them all inside for some cookies and beverages while they thought it over.

As everyone settled down with their cookies and various drink preferences, Rose's pendant that she always wore around her neck began to glow a luminescent pink before deepening into a throbbing, angry red. Rose visibly paled. Sandy nudged her gently, looking at her inquiringly. She sighed.

"Its my dad, he's summoning me to his palace."

Rose looked forlorn as the others exchanged excited looks. Jack was the first to ask the question that was just buzzing between the other guardians

"So can we come?" he was unable to keep the hopeful smile off his face.

Rose's head snapped up, her eyes wide "You WANT to come? After what's happened? You comprehend the fact that he isn't exactly going to be in a magnanimous mood, right?" she asked incredulously.

The reality of that fact settled on their budding excitement like a boot on a sprout, the dampening in the air nearly tangible. North frowned.

"I still want to go" he stated bluntly.

Rose sighed and with a quickness that blurred her figure, she snagged a bit of all their clothing, teleporting in front of a huge stone palace, an impossibly large and heavy wooden door looming over them.

Jack was the first to close his gaping maw and, turning till his back was to the door, exclaimed with glee "I can see the Earth!"


End file.
